Visitors to Yatton station recently had the chance to meet the canine star of a new book created for anyone nervous about travelling by train.<\/p>\n
Rupee the dog made a guest appearance at the launch of Rupee & Sushi Travel By Train, which Great Western Railway (GWR) calls \u201cthe perfect companion for those making their first journey by rail.\u201d<\/p>\n
Written by Carys Thomas, a safety audit manager at Great Western Railway, the book centres on her real-life shih tzu cross rescues Rupee, four, and Sushi, eight.<\/p>\n
Readers are given a couple of alternative scenarios and invited to choose their own journey as they navigate their first trip, including planning ahead, purchasing tickets, boarding and then leaving the train ahead of a day out at the beach.<\/p>\n
Carys said: \u201cI\u2019ve always enjoyed writing and poetry and was inspired to write the book after attending one of the \u2018Try a Train\u2019 sessions GWR puts on to give people more confidence travelling on the railway.<\/p>\n
\u201cRupee is already well known across the network as an accessibility volunteer and she\u2019s really good around people who are nervous. She\u2019s a bit of a distraction and loves to be made a fuss of.\u201d<\/p>\n
The book is illustrated by Donna Nicholson and supported by Severnside Community Rail Partnership and Conwy Valley and North Wales Coast Community Rail Partnership.<\/p>\n
It was funded by train operators GWR, Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast, and passenger assistance technology specialists Transreport.<\/p>\n