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 Kuranda Scenic Railway service or station except for:

Guide, hearing and assistance dogs that are trained and certified in accordance with the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 (Qld) with an identity card issued in accordance with that Act. This includes a guide, hearing and assistance dog under training.

Animals that meet the assistance animal requirements as outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (“assistance animal”), being animals that assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability and meets standards of hygiene and behaviour that are appropriate for an animal in a public place, with an approved assistance animal pass.

Note: Emotional support, therapy, companion or comfort animals are not accepted for travel on Kuranda Scenic Railway services as they do not have public access rights. Further, they are typically not specifically trained to alleviate the effects of a person’s disability.

A booking is required for all assistance animals, and they will be carried free of charge on Kuranda Scenic Railway services. To book with us please visit our Contact us page.

For terms and definitions please refer to Guide, hearing and assistance dogs | People with disability | Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au) (opens in new tab).

Animal identification and other documents required

We have a list of pre-approved training organisations and assistance animal passes that we accept. If you hold an assistance animal pass issued by one of these organisations or as listed below, that is all you need to provide to travel with your assistance animal.

Kuranda Scenic Railway will accept documentation and passes for assistance animals that are issued by any of the below:

Kuranda Scenic Railway will also accept passes for assistance animals issued by organisations accredited or recognised by any of the below:

Note: To obtain a Translink Assistance Animal Pass, in addition to a health professional declaration and a veterinary declaration, an applicant may provide a training declaration from a professional training organisation/individual, or an applicant may provide a training declaration if the animal is trained by the applicant or another individual. The Translink application form states to allow up to 15 working days for the application to be processed, this time period should be considered when planning your travel with us.

Kuranda Scenic Railway will consider passes issued by other organisations that deliver appropriate training but are not on the above lists and links. To enable us to confirm training, we may require documentation, or request information about your training organisation. Please let us know at the time of booking if you do not hold a pass from an approved trainer or training institution as listed above.

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

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 Kuranda Scenic Railway.

Translink Assistance Animal Pass dog (front)

Translink Assistance Animal Pass dog (back)

Translink Assistance Animal Pass cat (back)

Translink Assistance Animal Pass cat (front)

Translink Assistance Animal Pass cat (back)

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 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 carry sufficient evidence that the assistance animal has been trained, including handler or trainer identification. This may include a Translink Assistance Animal pass.

Trainers and handlers must display their identity card on request.
Ensure your assistance animal wears their identification badge/medallion, coat, vest or harness if:

an identification badge/medallion, coat, vest or harness has been issued to your assistance animal as part their training; or;
an identification badge/medallion, coat, vest or harness is required by a law of a State or Territory that provides for the accreditation of assistance animals (for example, dogs certified under the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 (Qld) are required to wear an identifying coat).

To ensure the assistance animal is under the direct control of the handler or a trainer at all times, this includes taking the assistance animal off the train for comfort stops.
For their safety, the assistance animal must be seated on the floor in the space allocated by Kuranda Scenic Railway. Assistance animals must not be placed on an adjacent seat or impede the aisle way. Assistance animals may only be placed in the lap of the handler/trainer temporarily and as necessary to provide required assistance to the handler/trainer.
To ensure the good behaviour and hygiene of the assistance animal. This includes cleaning up any mess made by their assistance animal and picking up after it when toileting in a public place.
It is recommended that you supply absorbent bedding or a mat suitable for your assistance animal that is clean and in good condition.
If a carrier is being used for the assistance animal, this must also be clean and in good condition.
Please approach an onboard team member on the platform prior to joining your service to discuss aspects of your journey including taking the assistance animal off the train for comfort stops.
You may be liable to pay for any damage caused to Queensland Rail property by the assistance animal, including covering the cost of cleaning, repairing or replacing the property.

Relief areas for guide, hearing or assistance dogs or assistance animals

Guide, hearing and assistance dogs and assistance animals are welcome on-board Kuranda Scenic Railway services, and we understand that making sure they have a safe place to relieve themselves near the platform at stations is a very important consideration for those who travel with them.

Whilst we don’t currently have designated, specially built outside toileting areas for assistance animals at our stations, it is something we are working on.

Some of our stations are more suited for you to take the opportunity to attend to your animals toileting needs and there is a grassed area nearby the platform to take them. Please refer to the table below for a list of these locations and also refer to our departure times information for planning purposes.

On the day of travel, if you are leaving the train mid-route please let an onboard team member know in advance of arriving at the station that you are planning on doing this so they can check you return to the service safely and on time.

Railway station name	Location of suitable animal relief area and closest bin
Cairns	The closest point is adjacent to platform 2 in Bunda St. If you are on platform 1, take the lift from Platform 1 to Platform 2 then use the main exit from the platform to the strip of grass area along the footpath on Bunda St. Bin is available at Platform 2. There is also a grassed area further away at the northern end of platform 1 past the bus stop at the end of the pathway out to the Aplin St road entrance to the shopping centre. If you are at Platform 2, take the lift from Platform 2 to Platform 1. Bin is available at Platform 1.
Freshwater	Exit from the main entrance of the station, turn right and proceed to a grassed area adjacent to the station building near the mango tree. Bin is located at the entrance of station building.
Kuranda	Using the main exit from the station, take the lift from the platform level to the street level. Turn left from the lift, walk over the bridge to the grassed area to the right before the stairs. Bin is located on this level nearby.

Railway station name

Location of suitable animal relief area and closest bin

Cairns

The closest point is adjacent to platform 2 in Bunda St. If you are on platform 1, take the lift from Platform 1 to Platform 2 then use the main exit from the platform to the strip of grass area along the footpath on Bunda St.

Bin is available at Platform 2.

There is also a grassed area further away at the northern end of platform 1 past the bus stop at the end of the pathway out to the Aplin St road entrance to the shopping centre.

If you are at Platform 2, take the lift from Platform 2 to Platform 1.

Bin is available at Platform 1.

Freshwater

Exit from the main entrance of the station, turn right and proceed to a grassed area adjacent to the station building near the mango tree.

Bin is located at the entrance of station building.

Kuranda

Using the main exit from the station, take the lift from the platform level to the street level. Turn left from the lift, walk over the bridge to the grassed area to the right before the stairs.

Bin is located on this level nearby.

Back to Accessible travel

Accessible seating and facilities

Joining or leaving the train

Travelling with a carer