Assistance Animals

​Travelling with a guide, hearing or assistance animal

On this page you’ll find information about travelling with guide, hearing or assistance dogs or assistance animals, including definitions, criteria, conditions of carriage and how to book.

Are animals permitted on our services and at our stations?

For the safety and comfort of all customers, animals are not permitted on any Queensland Rail Travel service or station except for:

  • Guide, hearing or assistance dogs that are trained and certified in accordance with the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 (Qld) (“certified guide, hearing or assistance dogs”) with an identity card in accordance with the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 (Qld), or 
  • Animals that meet the assistance animal requirements as outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (“assistance animals”) with an approved Assistance Animal Pass.

A booking is required for approved animals, and they will be carried free of charge on Queensland Rail Travel services. Please see below for information on how to make a booking.


Terms and Definitions

Accompanying Trainer

A Trainer who is in control of the guide, hearing and assistance dog they are training on our services.

Approved Training Organisation

Any organisation or person listed as an Approved Training Organisation (including individual trainers).

Assistance Animals

An animal that meets the assistance animal requirements as outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (“assistance animals”). They are animals that assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability.

Guide, Hearing or Assistance Dog

A dog that has been trained and certified in accordance with the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 (Qld) (“certified guide, hearing or assistance dogs”) with an identity card in accordance with the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 (Qld)

They are dogs that are able to perform identifiable physical tasks or behaviours to assist the person in a way that reduces the person's need for support.

Guide, hearing or assistance dog under training

Is a dog being trained to be a guide, hearing or assistance dog. A dog ceases to be ‘under training’, and becomes ‘trained’, when:
  • It's placed with its Handler; and
  • The Handler is issued with a proof of identity document issued by an Approved Training Organisation, showing that the dog has attained the appropriate level of training and/or passed the PAT.

Handler

Is the person with a disability who relies on the guide, hearing or assistance dog to alleviate the effects of the handler's disability.

Identity Documents and Passes

For a Handler and guide, hearing or assistance animal means a proof of identity document or pass as follows:

  • For the Handler of a guide, hearing or assistance dog – a Handler's identity card issued by an Approved Training Organisation (e.g. the Queensland Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (Queensland Department of Communities); and
  • For the guide, hearing or assistance animal - an identifying document issued by an Approved Training Organisation that identifies the animal as a guide, hearing or assistance dog or an assistance animal and demonstrates that the animal has attained the appropriate level of training and if applicable, has passed the Public Access Test (PAT) (e.g. the Queensland Department of Communities).

For a Trainer and guide, hearing or assistance animal under training means a proof of identity document or pass as follows:

  • For the Accompanying Trainer of a guide, hearing or assistance dog – a Trainer's identity card issued by an Approved Training Organisation; and
  • For the guide, hearing or assistance animal under training – an identifying document issued by an Approved Training Organisation that identifies the guide, hearing or assistance dog under training or an assistance animal and that has attained the appropriate level of training and, if applicable, has passed the Public Access Test (PAT).

Public Access Test (PAT)

Is a test that is conducted to establish that a guide, hearing or assistance dog is safe and effective in a public place and is able to be controlled by the Handler of the dog or the Accompanying Trainer for the dog under training. Queensland Rail Travel accepts the following:

  • The PAT published by the Queensland Department of Communities.
  • The PAT published by Assistance Dogs International (ADI); or
  • Other PATs of a substantially equivalent level as determined training organisations recognised by Queensland Rail Travel.

Trainer

Is a person who has been accredited by an Approved Training Organisation as being able to select and train guide, hearing or assistance dogs to perform identifiable tasks and behaviours to alleviate the effects of a person's disability.


Documentation requirements for handlers/trainers and animal identification

Identity documents and certification for trainers, handlers, guide, hearing or assistance dogs and assistance animals:

Trainers and employee trainers of training institutions who want to certify guide, hearing and assistance dogs must be approved under the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 (the Act). 

The training institutions, contacts and locations, currently approved under the Act can be viewed by visiting the Queensland Government – guide-hearing-assistance-dogs-trainers webpage.

Queensland Rail Travel will accept documentation and passes as follows:

  • Issued by the currently approved training institutions listed on the Queensland Government webpage.
  • Other government assistance animal passes and non-government approved training organisations that Queensland Rail Travel will accept as evidence of certified training, allowing for travel with us as displayed below.

Other passes that we accept:

The following is a list of other government assistance animal passes and non-government training organisations that Queensland Rail Travel will accept as evidence of certified training, allowing for travel with us.

  • TransLink Assistance Animal Pass – Information and application process can be viewed on the TransLink website.
  • NSW Government: Transport for NSW – Assistance Animal Permit
  • Victorian Public Transport – Assistance Animal Pass
  • Government of WA – Assistance Dog Pass
  • Young Diggers
  • Revolutionary Assistance Dogs Inc.
  • mindDog Australia

Queensland Rail Travel will consider passes/cards issued by other organisations that deliver appropriate training, but are not on these lists. To enable us to confirm certification, we may require documentation, or request information about the training organisation. Please let us know at the time of booking if your organisation does not appear on these lists. 

Sample Images of Identification for Handlers/Trainers

The following images of cards issued by the Queensland Government for handlers and trainers of guide, hearing and assistance dogs will be accepted by Queensland Rail Travel.



Primary Handler Identification


Puppy Carer Identification


Primary Handler Identification (requires alternate handler)


Alternate Handler Identification


Approved Trainer Identification


Employee Trainer Identification


Identification back of card


Images of identification for animals

A Guide Dog wearing a harness

A Guide Dog wearing a harness

A Lions Hearing Dog wearing an identifying coat and lead

A Lions Hearing Dog wearing an identifying coat and lead

A Guide Dog walking with a harness

A Guide Dog walking with a harness

A Lions Hearing Dog - wearing an identifying coat and lead

A Lions Hearing Dog wearing an identifying coat and lead


Handler/Trainer responsibilities while travelling with us

Handler/Accompanying Trainer Responsibilities:

  • To obtain and carry sufficient evidence that the animal has been trained and certified including handler or trainer identification. 
  • Approved trainers and handlers must display their identity card on request. Dogs will be required to wear their identification badge/medallion and their coat, vest or harness.

In the absence of evidence or identification, travel with the dog or animal may not be approved. If you are unable to provide sufficient evidence that the animal has been trained, please discuss with us in advance of travel.

  • To ensure the animal is under the direct control of the handler or a trainer at all times, this includes taking the animal off the train for comfort stops.
  • The dog or assistance animal must be seated on the floor in the space allocated by Queensland Rail Travel (not on an adjacent seat or in the lap of the handler/trainer).
  • To ensure the good behaviour and hygiene of the animal.
  • It is recommended that you supply absorbent bedding or a mat suitable for your animal providing it is clean and in good condition. 
  • Customers must account for any damage to Queensland Rail Travel property by the animal.
  • Discuss with the onboard team regarding your dining options and any aspects of your journey including comfort stops for your animal.


Comfort stops

Comfort stops for guide, hearing or assistance dogs and assistance animals:

Information for planning comfort stops for your animal can be sourced by checking our Timetables for stops on your journey with longer durations. Once on the train, we recommend you discuss with the onboard team for information about suitable locations for comfort stops for your animal on your particular service departure.


How to make a booking including an assistance animal

How to make a booking that includes a guide, hearing or assistance dog or an assistance animal:

Bookings are required when travelling with certified guide, hearing or assistance dogs or assistance animals and they will be carried free of charge on Queensland Rail Travel services.

Bookings can be made online, over the phone or in person at a Travel Centre.

Our reservations system has been setup with locations on each train and in each travel option that provides space for your guide, hearing or assistance dog or assistance animal. For details on these locations on each service, please visit Carriage Layouts.

In general, these locations on each train are as close as possible to the carriage exit doors to enable easy access for the customer and their guide, hearing and assistance dog or assistance animal.

The seating configuration for you and your guide, hearing or assistance dog or assistance animal may change depending on the service and carriage:

Bookings in a Seat or RailBed:

  • A seat or RailBed will be booked where there is adjacent floor space is provided to comfortably accommodate the animal.
  • An extra seat or Railbed will be held (free of charge) in some locations next to the person travelling to allow for the animal to sit on the floor in front of the extra seat or RailBed.

Bookings in a Sleeper:

  • When booking a Sleeper, a Twin Sleeper will be held to provide floor space to comfortably accommodate the animal.

If these designated locations are not available or you require a different allocation booked please contact us to discuss other options.

When making a booking of this type, the travel option you require should state “includes assistance animal space”.

At the time of booking, you are required to provide the Pass type or Training Organisation. e.g. Guide Dogs Queensland, TransLink Assistance Animal Pass etc.

We may need to contact you to confirm certification if the pass or training organisation is not one that is on the list approved under the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 (the Act) or our other listed government passes and non-government training organisations. Refer to the tab in the menu above this section: Identity documents and certification for trainers, handlers, guide, hearing or assistance dog and assistance animals.

You must provide the above information to us for every booking, as this information is not retained in our booking systems. 

Bookings can be made in the following ways: