The very first Family Lounge for the UK rail network has been opened by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Kings Cross Station
Specially designed to support family-friendly rail travel, the Family Lounge aims to provide families with a dedicated space whilst waiting for trains. The lounge features plenty of things to keep children busy whilst giving parents a chance to relax.
The Family Lounge can be found on the main concourse next to the Travel Centre at Kings Cross Station in London and provides ease of access with differing seating styles such as beach huts which feature tabletop games, soft play and an amazing Hornby-designed train set which will no doubt delight both children and parents.
The lounge aims to capture the imagination of children with some special heritage items which have been donated by the National Railway Museum in York, video content is also provided by London North Eastern Railway's award-winning series ‘In the Drivers Seat' which will provide an insight as to what it is like to be an Azuma train driver.
The Travel Centre has also undergone refurbishment as part of the Family Lounge project and now provides a comfortable breastfeeding space. The centre also features a moss wall which divides it from the lounge whilst giving a green nod to rail travel's environmentally friendly benefits.
The initiative aims to support more families to travel by train following a UK parenting network Mumsnets'recent survey revealed that an easy travel experience is important to 93% of those planning a day trip.
Abu Siddeeq, Head of Customer Service at LNER, said: “As a father with young children, I know first-hand how much I appreciate it when businesses are truly family-friendly. That is why I'm delighted that LNER will be opening the Family Lounge at London King's Cross, the first dedicated lounge for families on the UK rail network.”
“From having a safe space to play to being able to sit together as a family whilst taking a break from travelling, the Family Lounge has been specially designed with families of all ages in mind and is bound to make a huge difference to those using the station.”
London North Eastern Railway has worked with the Campaign for Family Friendly Trains which is a group of parents and carers who are working towards better facilities for children and families travelling on the UK rail network.
Nick Flynn from the Campaign for Family Friendly Trains, said: “The Family Lounge at King's Cross Station will be a fantastic way for families to pass the time before their train departs and is an excellent step towards creating a more family-friendly railway.
“We welcome LNER's significant effort in creating this space and were delighted to be consulted at the design stage. We hope the concept will be reproduced at stations across the country and encourage the rail industry to continue to think about the needs of families onboard such as dedicated spaces for prams and at stations.”
Helen Cavanagh, Head of Passenger Experience for Network Rail's East Coast Route, said: “We've worked really closely with LNER on this project, so we're delighted that the Family Lounge will soon be available for use.
“Over the past few years, we've been working hard to improve King's Cross station for our customers, with work to refurbish toilets and install new seating on the concourse just some of the ways we have done that. The new Family Lounge will further improve passenger experience, and we look forward to families reaping the benefit.”
An official opening of the Family Lounge will take place on Wednesday the 12th of October at Kings Cross Station and is open to families travelling by rail alongside all rail operators which work out of the station.
In order to make it easier for families travelling by train, London North Eastern Railway's Family Return tickets provide a fixed price for travel for up to two adults and four children across a number of destinations with fares starting at £49 for an entire group. Families wishing to book travel ahead can do so by visiting the London North Eastern Railway website or app in order to find the best prices for Advance fares with no booking fees.
Further savings can be made for those who hold Railcards which can take up to a third off of fares. Signing up for London North Eastern Railway's loyalty scheme LNER Perks also gives members £5 credit for joining and a 2% credit for each London North Eastern Railway trip undertaken.
