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All aboard the pooch train! Spain’s Renfe starts large dog trial

Spain's national rail provider on Tuesday began a three-month trial to ascertain if allowing medium and large dogs on board its trains is a viable option, with tickets on sale for its Madrid-Barcelona route.

Published: 13 September 2022 15:15 CEST
large dogs trains spain
Up to now, Renfe only permitted passengers to travel with small dogs under 10 kilos, kept at all times inside a carrier, with the exception of guide or assistance dogs. Photo: John Crozier/Unsplash

Spain’s Renfe on Tuesday September 13th kick-started its three-month trial to assess the viability of allowing canines of up to 40 kilos on its trains.

Up to now, Renfe only permitted passengers to travel with small dogs under 10 kilos in weight, kept at all times inside a carrier, with the exception of guide or assistance dogs.

Only two large dogs will be allowed on each train during the trial period, with a maximum of one per passenger.

A specific dog-friendly area on one of the train’s carriages will be allocated for these medium and large pooches.

Dog owners will also have to follow a set of rules and recommendations, such as carrying a blanket with them, taking toys that don’t make noise or squeak, avoid feeding them during the three hours prior to the trip to prevent the animals from doing their business or getting dizzy on the train, as well as taking them for a long walk before the journey.

Dogs that aren’t kept inside a pet carrier will have to wear a muzzle and be kept on a non-extendable leash (3 metres long max) at all times.

The dog breeds (small, medium and large) that will be allowed on these high-speed AVE and Long Distance trains between Barcelona and Madrid include Beagles, Bichons, Boxers, Bull Terriers, Bulldogs, Poodles, Pugs, Chow Chows, Cocker Spaniels, Dalmatians, Collies, Greyhounds, Golden Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, Labradors, Alsatians, Pekinese, Pointers, Pomeranians, Rottweilers, Schnauzers, Setters, Shar Peis and different terrier breeds.

However, given the 40kg weight restrictions, Bordeaux Mastiffs, Great Danes, Spanish Mastiffs, Saint Bernards, Tosa Inus, Newfoundland dogs and Bullmastiffs cannot be included on the list, as many of these breeds can weigh more than 60 kilos.

Passengers who want to book tickets for themselves and their furry friends on this initial Madrid-Barcelona route will find the option of adding their “mascota grande” (large pet) on the Renfe website.  

Whereas Renfe’s rates for small dogs and other pets (cats, ferrets, birds) are €10, for larger dogs weighing between 10kg and 40kg the fixed price per trip will be €35.

Passengers travelling with their medium or large dogs will not be able to choose their seats either, instead they will have two spots pre-assigned to them (next to each other) for themselves and their pet.

Dog owners will also have to fill in a civil responsibility form at the train station’s Centro de Servicios 30 minutes before travel. It is then that they’ll be handed a cover and a mat for the seat as well as a gift for their pet.

Member comments

  1. Good grief.

    The hoops you must jump through is crazy.

    In my 56 years I have never heard of a dog attacking anyone on a train. Attacking other dogs on a train (apart from the bark – keep away).

    It may be a test to see if it’s ok but it’s clear from the existing rules that when renfe talks about animals it explicitly bans poultry. Rules pre 1970!?

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The government is working on the assumption that the system will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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