I am sure there are a whole lot of ‘pawrents’ who must’ve undertaken extensive research to obtain accurate information that will help you with pet travel by train, only to find it wasn’t accurate? I have, and that’s when I realized this needs to be addressed. None of the sites I visited explained the process in detail. So, I decided to document mine and help those who are looking for accurate information on how to travel with pets by train in India. The process of travelling with pets by Indian Railways may seem long and arduous, but it’s not so difficult once you understand the process and the places to submit the relevant documents. 

While booking for pet travel by train, you do not get an option to select a coupe (2 berths) or a cabin (4 berths) despite the fact that the options are given. DO NOT ASSUME THAT YOU WILL BE ALLOTED A COUPE/ CABIN (if travelling with more than two pets) IF YOU SELECT THAT OPTION WHILE BOOKING.

Also, buying two tickets will not guarantee a coupe confirmation. You will receive confirmation only 10-12 hrs before train departure, which also confirms if you have been allotted a coupe or cabin.

P.S. – There is no separate section to select ‘pet travel by train’.

1. Vaccination certificate – Vaccinations need to be up to date (the vaccinations should be updated before travel) – Anti-rabies and Leptospirosis for dogs and Anti-rabies for cats. FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia) is also highly recommended for complete protection of cats.

2. Medical certificate – Dog’s or cat’s medical certificate is mandatory for travel. The health certificate should be procured 24 hrs before travel. Obtaining anything before 24 hrs becomes invalid.

An application addressed to the Reservation Officer needs to be submitted a day before the journey date.

You might think that the application needs to be submitted at the station from where you are boarding the train. IT IS NOT.

You have to research the places where you have to submit, as the locations might change.

Delhi – AT Baroda House near India Gate

Bangalore: SBC Reservation Office on the ground floor

Hyderabad: At Secunderabad Rail Nilayam, first floor, Commercial Department.

For the above, information has been gathered from Google. For Mumbai and Calcutta (Kolkata), I have shared below.

1. The application containing the details – Name of passengers, PNR no, Train No. & Name, Date of journey, Address and Phone No.

2. Printout of your ticket

3. Aadhaar card copy (either of the passengers)

4. I had also shared a copy of my dog’s license and her vaccination certificates.

a. Do not carry an envelope and put your application inside it.

b. Staple all the documents and fold it in half.

c. On the fold, write your Name, Train Name, PNR no., Phone No. and address, and mention “Coupe/Cabin Allotment Required As Travelling With Pet/ Pets” (I wrote it all over the back of the folded paper so that no one can miss it!).

Note that pets (either dogs or cats) can only be registered after your ticket is confirmed and the final reservation chart is prepared (usually about 8 to 12 hours before train departure).

Ensure you have booked a First AC (1A) ticket for an entire cabin (4 berths) or a coupe (2 berths), as pets are not permitted in standard 2AC or 3AC classes.

Once the chart is prepared and your cabin/coupe is assigned

Go to the IRCTC portal -> Go to the dropdown under ‘Trains’ and select Dogs/ Cats Booking -> You will be asked to log in with an OTP sent to your mobile phone -> Once you log in you have to enter your PNR number, upload your pet’s necessary medical documents (like a Rabies Vaccination Certificate and Fit to Travel certificate), and complete the payment.

Print the Pet Booking ID/Receipt and report to the originating station’s parcel office at least 2 hours before departure.

On the day of the journey, it is advisable to reach the station 2-3 hours prior to departure and head to the Parcel Office (they are usually located at either end of the station – always better to check out the location before travel).

Ensure you muzzle your dog before entering the station, or the security positioned outside may ask you to. Unfortunately, the blogs we checked had missed mentioning so we didn’t carry a muzzle. Thankfully, we were just asked to muzzle her and were not harassed at all.

At the parcel office, they will check if you have been allocated a coupe or not. If you are allocated a coupe, then it’s smooth, but if you have been allocated a cabin, then they will refuse to issue a ticket to your pet because they will argue that two tickets have been bought for a cabin, even if you tell them that you have submitted the application despite which you have been allocated a cabin. They will be extremely unreasonable and insensible (happened with us, but we carried on!).

Once they are convinced that you have been allotted a coupe, they will weigh the pet to issue a ticket (you do not always have to tag your pet along; they just check the certificates and issue the ticket. Usually, the weight of the pet is mentioned on the medical certificate so the staff can do the needful. Once you are issued the ticket, you can board the train.

P.S. There are circumstantial exceptions wherein, without a challan from the Parcel Office, your dog/cat will not be allowed to enter the station.

a. Her bowls (1 for food + 1 for water). You can also carry one, wash it, and use.

b. Her foldable dog bed.

c. Lots of paper (to clean her poop when we took her for a stroll at the stations where the train halted for more than 10 minutes – that’s something all pet parents should follow: clean up after their pets). You can also carry biodegradable poop bags available on Amazon (paper is a cheaper option), unfortunately, I ordered the delivery of the bags to Kolkata. For cats, carry the litter in a portable Cat litter box.

d. Her bottle of water.

e. Calmex tablet (Vet prescribed) – to manage stress and anxiety (we administered one tablet 2 hrs before the journey). There is a similar medicine called Anxocare by Himalaya, but it is not so effective against stress and requires continuous administration for a week or 2 before travel.

f. Avomine tablet (Vet prescribed) – to avoid nausea during travel. Although she had travelled earlier by car to Goa without any incident, we did not want to take a chance. We administered one tablet after dinner as a precaution.

g. Wet food (Smartheart). There are other brands available. This one has chicken chunks in it. You can carry small packets or kibble (Smartheart, N&D, Purepet, A-pro, Royal Canine or Pedigree). We had ordered rice for her to mix with the wet food which she ate without any fuss.

h. We also carried her toiletries that included wet wipes to clean her.

• RABISIN – anti-rabies
• Nobivac DHPPi – vaccine for immunization of dogs against canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus, canine parvovirus and canine parainfluenza virus.
• Nobivac LEPTO – vaccine for immunization in dogs against canine leptospirosis

• Anti-rabies
• FVRCP

Since I have travelled from Mumbai to Kolkata and vice versa, here are the locations where the applications need to be submitted. There is misleading information on the internet about the place of submission in Kolkata, so to avoid confusion, I have detailed it to the ‘T’ where the documents should be submitted.

As we were travelling from Lokmaya Tilak Terminus (LTT) Railway Station, it was natural to submit the Application to the Reservation Officer there. BUT THAT ISN’T THE CASE.

You should go to CSTM/VT station and submit the letter there. At CSTM, once you step out of Platform 1, walk about 200 metres; you will find the Chief Commercial Manager’s Building (CCM Building). The application has to be dropped in the Red box on the 2nd Floor. You must bear in mind that the first preference is given to VIPs, then honeymooners, and third comes people with dogs.

Unlike all those who keep saying Kolaghat, IT IS NO MORE IN KOLAGHAT BUT IN South Eastern Railway Headquarters, Garden Reach, which was formerly known as BNR (Bengal Nagpur Railway).

When we reached BNR, no one had a clue as to where the application should be dropped.

All we heard was “it must be the new building, the retail division, not us”. After running from pillar to post for only about 5 minutes, we finally made it to “The New Building” and went to the third floor, where again no one had a clue until an employee recalled another person having come some day with the same request.

So, she directed me to the second floor, where just beside the staircase stood a solitary box waiting to be filled by applications of pet parents, senior citizens, V.I.P.s and honeymooners for a “coupe”.

1. What if only 1 person is travelling?

Ans: Go ahead and reserve two tickets, opting for the coupe selection in the dropdown menu. This is crucial because the guidelines specify that if your co-passenger raises any objections to your pet, you may be required to disembark your furry friend. By reserving a minimum of two tickets and ensuring that all seats in the coupe are booked, you eliminate the possibility of another passenger being present to object to your pet.

2. Will the TC ask where the second person is?

Ans: He could be off on a bathroom quest or engaged in a spontaneous rendezvous with a fellow passenger in the neighboring compartment. You know, the mystery of disappearing acts! Typically, the Train Conductor prefers not to make a repeat visit to a cabin with a furry friend more than once.

3. How many pets can I travel with?

Ans: One passenger can carry a maximum of one pet. So four tickets can carry four pets. If you are travelling with more than two pets then it is advisable to purchase four tickets and submit an application for cabin allocation.

4. When will I get the coupe allotted?

Ans: The allocation of the coupe will occur no earlier than 10 – 12 hours (recent update) before the scheduled travel time. An SMS notification will be sent to the mobile number used for booking to inform you.

Pet travel by train can get a little overwhelming with the kind of paperwork that is involved, but it is definitely worth the hard work. Do share your experience of travelling with your pet/pets. Since terms and policies are subject to change for pet travel by train, if there is any information that needs to be updated here, please let me know, and I will update the same on this page. Also comment if you need any additional information to be shared on this blog.