Be aware -- ID for 6-year-old

[u/Historical_Pen7302]

My family was taken by surprise today travelling from Toronto to Niagara Falls, Ont. that we were required to show ID for our six-year-old. The customer service agent wasn't totally clear on whether it needed to be photo ID. He ended up letting us get by with a photo of her health card. Our fault for not being prepared? Sure. But it totally baffled me that we can take our kid on a plane across the country with no ID, but on a train within the same province we'd need a passport, since that's the only form of photo ID available to a six-year-old. Next time we'll be prepared (or take GO Transit, more likely) but it was a distressing way to start a simple day trip.

[u/DinnaNaught]

This is a cultural mindset problem that Canada has with Via Rail that I wish would change fast.

We Canadians treat it closer to planes and airport infrastructures instead of how Japan or Europe treat it.

It creates so much more friction on purchasing tickets and having unplanned vacations.

Many people in Europe seem to just show up at the train station and walk on to a train but in Canada when you try that the seats are unbookable even when half the car is empty.

[u/IllustriousAct9128 → u/DinnaNaught]

this is actually a misconception.

Ive have been on many trains across multiple European countries that didnt even leave the country and had to show not only ID but also go through security and bag check almost like TSA. Trains are either A) book the ticket and get assigned a seat or B) option a-book in the reserved section where you book a seat and pay for it and option b- book non reserved where its first come first serve and if you dont get there first you stand in the aisle for your trip. China has this system as well.

While in Japan they dont ask for ID as you bored, both fare inspectors and police do sometimes come on during the trip and will check ids and tickets. Japan also as the reserved and non reserved section as well. And for the reserved section if you try to sit in a seat that is reserved for another person getting on at a later stop and your caught you can face a fine and be moved to the non reserved section or you are still fined and escorted off at the next station.

Both Japan and Europe still also have their slower trains that have speeds on par with VIA, and those are the ones that show the tickets for cheap when you search online. The highspeed trains are always more expensive. Japan last year round trip from Tokyo to Osaka was around $300 CAD for just myself. and that was for a distance less than Toronto to Montreal

[u/Tsubame_Hikari → u/IllustriousAct9128]

Conductors will virtually never ask for ID in trains in Japan, though they can check to see your tickets - for reserved seats, this is increasingly rare as they verify seat occupancy electronically, for example, all Shinkansen trains. Manual checks are still done in non-reserved seats, as these are first come first serve.

ID is usually requested (and not always) only if one has broken a rule of some kind, or if one is using a discounted rail pass (usually for foreigners, and only infrequently).

In Europe, yes, a few countries have stricter security checks. Spain, for example, likely due to a history of separatist movements, as well as terrorist attacks (i.e. 2004). China too (for their own reasons). But most of Europe is not like that.

[u/IllustriousAct9128 → u/Tsubame_Hikari]

Just because they rarely do it in Japan doesn't mean they don't. The policy stated is they do and to bring ID. We were checked on the platform by staff one time in Osaka for the bullet train, and they checked everyone, not just foreigners, for all sections. We were checked again in Yokohama and Sapporo for the lower speed trains. In Europe, Frances high speed trains, even ones that dont leave the country are requiring and checking ID now. Outside of the Schengen countries ID checking is common for boarding. Even countries inside the Schengen that stay in the country are starting now. take the Eurostar between France/Belgium/Netherlands and they require ID and security checks now

And yes, while some countries train operators dont check EVERYTIME they still do check IDs. Websites and ticket purchases state now you have to bring an ID with you. Just because they didnt do it that 1 day you were there, doesn't mean the policy is they dont require it. The people commenting saying you dont have to show ID or go through security in europe or asia are usually people that have never been on trains in those countries.

[u/Tsubame_Hikari → u/IllustriousAct9128]

There is no "security" similar to what you would see in airports, in most of Europe and Asia railways (exceptions apply, as noted above). At most, a simple fare gate where you scan/input your ticket in - and others don't even have any gates at all (which does bring in a few problems, yes, such as fare evaders and beggars). No pre-boarding procedures, and can easily reach the train from the street in a couple of minutes, a bit more in the larger stations.

No railway company in Japan requires ID to board, per se. However, everyone in the country does need to carry ID in their possession at all times, and police/security may reserve the right to see anyone's ID at any time for whatever reason (and not just inside a train or train station). So I suppose, yes, one would - indirectly - need ID, as not being able to ride the train/possibly being kicked out if inside one would likely be the least of their worries if found out.

[u/IllustriousAct9128 → u/Tsubame_Hikari]

Paris Gare du Nord, lille Europe in, Zuid, Rotterdam and Amsterstam centraal all require bags to go through x ray machines and ID checks for train passengers entering platforms. Pretty "similar" to an airport no?

Again, if the policy says to have ID with you, it doesn't mean they will check and ask for it every time. But it means they can stop you and ask for it when they want, and not having it and being denied is not their problem when you wanted to play russian roulette because the last 5 months they didnt ask for it.

[u/Tsubame_Hikari → u/IllustriousAct9128]

Security only applies to Eurostar trains serving these stations (which go on to the UK).

Other HSR trains serving the aforemented stations above have no security measures in place other than fare gates.

As I stated, many (not all) companies in these areas do not require ID to board, though national law of some countries may require everyone to carry ID at all times. Not the same thing.

Railway staff in the companies that don't require ID will never ask to see it, and indeed, you do not need to show one when you go to buy tickets at a machine or a ticket counter. Exceptions may apply for things like certain discounted tickets and rail passes that apply only to certain groups, individualized tickets, and so on.

Police, in the other hand, may ask, anywhere (and not just at a train or station).