Whistle the dog is a highly trained (and adorable) golden retriever and is the train operator’s brand-new mascot.
His job is to encourage more people to travel by rail, to spread important educational and safety messages and to promote multiple future careers in the rail industry.
Sheffield-based train driver Andrew Lupton and his daughter Penny came up with Whistle winning a company-wide competition.
Whistle the dog loves trains, safety, bones, collecting tickets but his pet peeves are fireworks and muddy feet on seats.
Not only are Northern trains child friendly, but the tickets are budget-friendly too. Children aged between five and 15 travel for half-price on most fares across the UK rail network while children under the age of five travel for free alongside fare-paying passengers.
To find out more about Whistle the Dog visit northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/kids/whistle-the-dog or more about advance tickets at northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/advance.