A new cohort of puppies has completed an important stage of their training at Basingstoke station, as South Western Railway (SWR) and Guide Dogs continue their partnership to support people with sight loss.
Ahead of International Guide Dog Day (Wednesday 29 April), the young trainees spent a morning at one of SWR’s busiest hubs, experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of a working railway environment.
The session forms a key part of their preparation to become life-changing companions for people with sight loss. The puppies learned how to move through the ticket gateline safely, navigate the platforms, find the platform edge, board and alight trains, use the lifts, and more.
Michael Adlington, Accessibility and Inclusion Lead at South Western Railway, said: “It’s always a joy to welcome Guide Dogs, their puppies and their volunteer raisers to our stations as part of our commitment to helping all customers travel independently and with confidence.
“These sessions are a small but vital part of the puppies’ preparation to become life-changing companions for people with sight loss.
“Our colleagues assisted 315,000 journeys in the last year and are on hand to help customers, whether they pre-book or simply turn up and go.”
Georgina Wingham, a Puppy Development Advisor for Guide Dogs commented: “Our puppies are looked after in the homes of our amazing volunteer puppy raisers for 12-16 months until the pups are ready to start their formal training to be guide dogs.
“A big part of this is socialisation and getting the puppies used to different environments, so visiting Basingstoke station was great experience for them. All the pups did brilliantly, helping them build positive associations that they’ll remember if they visit a railway station as working guide dogs.
“Thank you so much to everyone at South Western Railway for welcoming us again.”
The canine companions must get used to different experiences and environments, helping their future owners to travel independently and with confidence. During their first year, the puppies are cared for by volunteer puppy raisers, who begin their training with the support of Guide Dogs. Once fully trained, each dog is carefully matched with a person with sight loss.
SWR has hosts regular sessions for puppies and their raisers at stations like Basingstoke as well as Portsmouth Harbour and Portsmouth & Southsea.
There are over 200 pups being trained by volunteers across the South West and Wales. Across the country, there are almost 1,200 pups in training. Assistance dogs are welcome on all SWR services, free of charge. While seats are only for humans, dogs can relax beside or underneath them during their journey.
To help give their owners peace of mind while travelling, SWR has created a simple card to alert other customers to the dog’s presence under a seat. These complimentary cards can be ordered on the SWR website and can even be personalised with the dog’s name and photograph.
From April 2025 to March 2026, SWR supported 315,000 assisted journeys, with almost 60% made by customers who chose to ‘turn up and go’ without prebooking.
Image credit: South Western Railway