Guide dog puppies get ticket to ride

Arriva Trains Wales and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Associationare teaming up to provide training for guide dog puppies. The newscheme will benefit blind and partially sighted people using trainservices across Wales and the border counties of England.

Puppy walkers will get free access to Arriva Trains Walesstations and short journeys on the company's train services. Thiswill give the puppies valuable experience of getting on and offtrains, travelling between stations, passing through ticketbarriers and working in a busy environment – all skills that willassist their blind or partially sighted future owners.

Commenting on the new initiative, Mike Hurley, head of stationsfor Arriva Trains Wales, said:

We are delighted to be working with Guide Dogs byproviding free access to stations and trains for puppies intraining. The partnership shows our commitment to improving accessto our services and will help to raise awareness amongst our staffof the needs of our blind and partially sightedcustomers.

A fifth of the 20,000 people registered as blind or partiallysighted in Wales live in Cardiff and surrounding valleycommunities. It is estimated that over 100,000 people in Walesexperience some degree of visual impairment.

Rail travellers who are registered as visually impaired receivediscounted rail travel and other offers through the DisabledPersons Railcard scheme.

Terry Smith, Guide Dogs' regional puppy walking manager,said:

We train up to 50 puppies and dogs each year at ourcentre in Cardiff and there are currently more than 250 guide dogowners in South Wales and the border counties ofEngland.

He continued:

Visually impaired people are often regular users ofpublic transport. Arriva Trains Wales' support is a huge step inensuring both guide dogs and owners are comfortable and confidentusing the rail network.

Arriva Trains Wales operates a 'Journey Care' helpline wherebydisabled customers who would like assistance at stations or onboard trains can make arrangement for this to take place. JourneyCare can be contacted by calling 0845 300 3005 or 08457 585 469(textphone).

Ends

Notes to editors

• Photograph attached (from left): Jessica Stickland, corporaterelationships account manager for Guide Dogs; John Chard, avolunteer puppy walker from Penarth and Cyril Howe, Cardiff CentralStation manager for Arriva Trains Wales, with Emily a guide dogpuppy in training at Cardiff Central Station. Photograph by BetinaSkovbro.
• Arriva Trains Wales provides more than 900 services everyweekday throughout Wales and the border counties of England. Itmanages 238 stations, 51 of which are staffed
• Puppy walking volunteers care for and educateguide dog pups from six weeks of age for a period of 12 months,when they begin their specialised guide dog training around thecountry.

  The young dogs will spend much of their first year with thepuppy walker volunteers who teach basic obedience and get them usedto a home environment, noise and the bustle of towns.

  The volunteers will prepare the animals for their working lifeahead which includes taking them on public transport including,trains, buses and taxis. Guide Dogs supplies basic equipment andcover all veterinary and feeding expenses.

  To become a puppy walker, volunteers will need to have access toa car. They will have to be home for most of the day, and free totake their puppy into many varied environments – sometimesbusy and difficult. Their yard or garden will also need to besecurely fenced so that the puppy remains safely within itsconfines.

• For more information about Guide Dogs visitwww.gdba.org.uk.