Guide puppies collar free travel

Guide dog puppies need to learn how to travel by train

Guide dog walkers and their trainee puppies are being given free rail travel.

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's volunteers are getting free train travel from First ScotRail to help the skills of puppies.

It allows young dogs to experience getting on trains, travelling between stations and getting through ticket barriers to assist their future owners.

The Scottish scheme was launched at Aberdeen Railway Station on Monday.

First ScotRail has joined the puppy walker's programme in cooperation with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Visually impaired people rely heavily on public transport Simon Blythe Puppy walking manager

Tickets are issued to the puppy in training.

Puppy walking volunteers care for and educate guide dogs puppies from six weeks of age for a year, when they begin their specialised guide dog training.

Simon Blythe, the association's puppy walking manager, said: "Visually impaired people rely heavily on public transport.

"For a dog to be able to get used to the environment when they are young allows an owner to feel more confident with the dog when they are fully trained."

Steve Montgomery, safety and operations director for First ScotRail, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to allow the puppies to become more comfortable with travelling on our trains.

"We work to ensure everybody has access to the railway and schemes like this enable people who are visually impaired to gain greater confidence and independence and makes the network a more accessible environment."