Leaving your pets behind is difficult as you plan your business trip or vacation. And things get all the more complicated if you are the sole caregiver for those munchkins. Fortunately, Indian railways allow passengers to bring their adorable pets onboard. However, rules and regulations must be followed to the “T” to enjoy your railway journey with your pet.
Current rules and regulations you must know about
Pet dogs are permitted to be carried along in dog boxes of Second Class Luggage, Brake Van and AC First Class compartments. But if you are traveling by AC 2 tier, AC 3 tier or sleeper class, carrying your pets is not possible on the train. For carrying your pet dog in the dog box of a mail or express train, you need to pay the applicable luggage rates (INR 30 per kg according to the weight of your pet dog). For those who are traveling by AC First Class and First Class compartments, it is necessary that they book the entire coupe to get the required permission to carry their pets with them. This time the charges increase to INR 60 per kg according to the pet’s weight.
It’s always recommended to choose a train with either an AC First Class compartment or a dog box. However, Indian railways do not permit advance booking of dog boxes or AC First Class coupes for your pet dog. You can proceed with the bookings just one hour before the train departs for its destination. Indian Railways also allow a pet owner to bring along multiple pet dogs by booking Special Vehicles or Horse Boxes. Moreover, just one dog is allowed to be carried in a dog box on a First-Come-First-Served basis. Hence, it is better to reach the booking counter quite a few hours prior to the departure time.
In case you finally decide to carry your pet dog in a dog box, know that your pet will be locked there, and only you will be responsible for feeding it throughout the journey. No special treatment or facility will be provided by Indian railways in this aspect.
Scope of improvement
Although Indian railways have made it easier for pet owners to journey with their fur-balls, they still need to address a few loopholes. Millennials and Gen Z have increasingly been showing an inclination toward having pets. If the guidelines were more straightforward, more passengers could plan a railway trip with their pets. There are multiple things the Indian Railways can consider to ensure a smooth journey for you and your munchkins.
For instance, an increasing number of trains should accommodate pets onboard. At present, the choice is quite limited (Shatabdi and Rajdhani express are not pet friendly). Also, advance booking for pet dogs is the need of the hour. So many pet parents miss the opportunity just because there is no system of prior booking. This leads to immense confusion in the last moments. In fact, pet owners should be able to book tickets for their pets while booking their tickets. Furthermore, the number of dog boxes should be increased to accommodate more pets per train.
Conclusion
Indian Railways should be open to accepting ideas from pet owners to make the whole process seamless and comfortable. New systems and changes can be initially tried on trains for short routes and later extended to longer routes. In the end, things will improve for our four-legged friends if the Indian railways incorporate these changes gradually.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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