Travelling with Your Dog via Indian Railways

Spanning a network of over 1,32,310 km, the labyrinthine Indian railway system supports approximately 24 million passengers every day. Happily for pet parents, it also accommodates pets on board! This offers those who want to travel with their pets a reliable and economical means of transport for long distance travel.

When should you consider travelling with your pet via train?

For domestic travel with pets, the common options are by car, train or by plane. Travelling by plane is often expensive and not the safest option for many pets as there are quite some restrictions for pets to travel in the cabin. Travelling by car is convenient for short distances but can be difficult for travel that spans over several days. However, train travel offers a fairly comfortable, reliable, safe and economical way to travel with your dog.

What is it like to travel with dogs by train?

Dogs of all sizes can travel on Indian trains. Pups are allowed to travel in enclosed baskets or crates in any compartment. The rules don’t as yet specify the cut off age for when pups turn into adults.

There are two ways to travel with adult dogs on a train

1. Booking your pet into the ‘dog box’ (sometimes also called the ‘SLR van’ or the ‘brake van’
2. In a First-Class compartment or coupe

Travelling in the ‘dog box’

On some trains there is a ‘dog box’ that you can book your pet into, and they travel in that space while you have an assigned seat in another part of the train. Dog boxes are located within the luggage compartments in the second-class section of the train. They are sometimes called the brake vans or the SLR vans. This space for pets has ventilation windows and space to keep your pet’s travel crate. It has a latching mechanism as well. But it is your responsibility to check in at regular intervals and make sure that your dog is safe and travelling comfortably. 

Travelling with your dog in the first-class compartment

This way you travel with your pet in an enclosed compartment, and you can remain together throughout the journey. You can choose between the two-seater coupes or the cabins that contain four seaters.

You can carry all the dog travel accessories needed to keep them comfortable, including a space to sleep and relax, a bowl for water, food and treats as necessary. If your pet is crate trained, you can even set up a dog carrier with a pet mat for them to curl up in. Foldable bowls are very useful for journeys as they’re quite convenient to carry.

Note: Not all trains have a ‘dog box’ or First-Class compartments, dogs can only travel on trains that have them. You can tell if a train has an AC compartment when you’re choosing your own seats. 

4 Steps to Booking a Train Ticket for Your Dog

If one is unfamiliar with the ticket booking process, it can seem quite daunting. The ticket booking process through the IRCTC website famously requires plenty of patience and time. So choose a time when you’re not in a hurry for these steps and remember to plan your journey well in advance as it can be difficult to get confirmed seats. You can only travel with your dog in a train if your ticket is confirmed, not just waitlisted. 

• Book your own ticket online: Your dog gets added on to your train ticket so, the first step is to book your first-class ticket in the cabin or the coupe. One dog gets added to one PNR number so if you’re travelling with more than one dog, remember to book for two (or however many passengers) so each dog has a PNR number. 
• Book your pet’s ticket online: Once you complete your booking, navigate to the ‘Dogs/Cats Booking’ on the IRCTC homepage under the menu titled ‘Trains.’ You may have to log in again with your phone number and an OTP. Then enter your PNR number, select the relevant option for ID and proceed to booking. 

The online booking feature was launched in 2023 so it’s relatively now. The conventional way to book a space for your pet on a train is to do it in person at the Parcel Office. 

Note: Arrive several hours earlier on the day of the journey and submit the necessary paperwork. Your dog’s ticket is equivalent to 60 kg of luggage (irrespective of their actual weight), you are given a receipt and this works as your pet’s ticket so guard it well. 

• Apply for your dog to travel with you: For this you need the necessary supporting documents – a fit to travel certificate from a vet, dog’s vaccination records, your own identity documents and a letter addressed to the Chief Controller, requesting a coupe/cabin. These documents need to be submitted at the Parcel Office
• Book your dog in at the Parcel office: Your dog doesn’t have to be there for this part, you just need the paperwork. On the day of the departure, arrive a few hours early at the train station and submit the paperwork. 

Coupe and compartment reservations are granted by the Chief Controller keeping in mind several factors including ladies that are travelling alone, families on board etc. So there may be times when you are not granted a coupe or a compartment. 

In this case, you can go old school and appeal to other passengers to exchange their seats so you can get a space to yourselves. Or, if your fellow passengers are comfortable with travelling with your pet, get them to sign a letter of approval. This should help convince the TT to let your pet continue to travel in the compartment.