Runaway Dog Takes Train From Kent To London

[John Ashworth]

Runaway Dog Takes Train From Kent To London

The Bee
12:03pm 29th August 2012.

CCTV footage has emerged of a Jack Russell hopping onto a train and travelling all the way from Kent to London.

Frankie, six, jumped through the legs of commuters in the middle of the morning rush hour to board the express train at Gravesend station in Kent.

He then scurried up the aisle to find a seat, eventually settling on one by the window.

The dog remained on the train for its entire 30-minute journey to London's St Pancras, where he was rescued by train staff.

The train manager rang the phone number on Frankie’s collar to contact his owner, Jane Abbott, who came to collect the adventurous pooch.

She had been frantically searching for the dog, who had run off and made the 1.6 mile journey from home to the railway station on his own.

"What we don’t understand is why Frankie chose rail. He’s never been on a train before," Ms Abbott said.

The owner and her daughter paid £59 for the peak time train journey to retrieve their pet, although the £17.50 fare for Frankie was waived.

In a statement, train operators Southeastern rail said: "We're pleased we were able to help reunite Frankie and his owners."