Indian Railways allows only one dog per dog box under new pet travel rules

Travelling with your furry friends on Indian Railways requires following a newly updated set of guidelines designed to ensure animal safety and passenger comfort. The Railway Board has officially issued a directive restricting the transport of dogs to a strict limit of one animal per dog box. This policy change was circulated to all railway zones by Joint Director of Passenger Marketing Rohit Kumar. The main objective is to prevent animal conflicts and potential injuries that frequently happened when multiple dogs were chained together in a single enclosure. Here are the key highlights of the revised pet travel policy. Passengers travelling with more than one dog must now book separate dog boxes for each animal. Large dogs exceeding standard box dimensions must be booked in specialized vehicles like parcel coaches or brake vans at horse rates. Booking for dog boxes must be done offline at station parcel counters in advance. Entire First AC coupes must be booked for carrying pets inside coaches. Heavy penalties up to six times the standard luggage rate apply for non-compliance.

Updated Booking and Coach Regulations

For pet owners who wish to keep their animals close inside passenger coaches, Indian Railways continues to enforce its long-standing rule requiring the booking of an entire First AC coupe, whether two-berth or four-berth. Passengers must remember that pets remain strictly prohibited in 2AC, 3AC, 3E, Chair Car, and Sleeper coaches. To ensure a smooth journey, travellers must present a health and fitness certificate obtained from a government veterinary doctor within 24 to 48 hours of travel, along with a complete vaccination record including rabies documentation.

Penalties and Travel Advice

Railway officials have issued a strict warning that failure to adhere to these booking procedures or failure to provide necessary documentation can result in penalties reaching up to six times the standard luggage rate. Additionally, because the pet transport facility is limited to selected train services across the network, passengers are strongly advised to verify availability and specific requirements at their local stations prior to finalizing travel plans.