Pet travel by train 12 min read
Travelling with a dog or cat by train in India
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
A dog or cat can travel in the same compartment as you only in AC First Class or First Class, and only when your PNR holds the whole 2-berth coupe or 4-berth cabin. Otherwise a dog travels in the dog box of the train's brake van, booked at the station's luggage office at least 3 hours before departure.
Dogs are not allowed in AC sleeper, AC chair car, sleeper class or second class coaches, though a puppy or kitten small enough for a basket may travel in any class. Carry a vet's fitness certificate from the 24 to 48 hours before the journey, and book a coupe pet online once the first chart is prepared (Indian Railways and IRCTC rules, checked 21 October 2026).
Indian Railways pet rules at a glance
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| With you in the compartment | AC First Class or First Class, when the whole 2-berth coupe or 4-berth cabin is on your PNR. | IRCTC |
| The dog box | Any other dog travels in the dog box of the brake van, charged on a fixed 30 kg. | Indian Railways |
| Coaches where dogs are barred | AC sleeper (including 2AC and 3AC), AC chair car, sleeper class and second class. | Indian Railways |
| Puppies and kittens in a basket | May travel with you in any class after the usual booking charge. | IRCTC |
| Booking a dog box | At the luggage or parcel office, at least 3 hours before the train leaves. | Southern Railway |
| Papers | A vet's fitness certificate obtained 24 to 48 hours before the journey, shown with the vaccination card when you book. | Southern Railway |
| How many | One dog per PNR, and one dog per dog box, in Southern Railway's notice. | Southern Railway |
| Charge | The Scale L luggage rate on a fixed weight, 30 kg in the dog box, 60 kg in a compartment, paid in advance. The fee ledger below has the detail. | Indian Railways |
| Refund | None for an online pet luggage ticket if you cancel the PNR, or if the train is cancelled or runs late. | IRCTC |
| Cats | Booked online under the same coupe rule, and charged like a dog in Indian Railways' August 2026 booking guide: the same rate on a fixed 60 kg. | Indian Railways parcel website (CRIS) |
How to book a dog or cat online on IRCTC
Book your own ticket in First AC or First Class
Ask for a full coupe or cabin on one PNR. You can request one at the Divisional Railway Manager's or General Manager's office; Indian Railways says it gives such requests due consideration, but a coupe is not guaranteed.
Wait for the first chart
Online pet booking opens once the first chart is prepared and closes when the final chart is prepared.
Open Dogs/Cats Booking
On irctc.co.in, choose TRAINS, then Dogs/Cats Booking. You are taken to the railway parcel website, where you log in with your mobile number, an OTP and your email address; a captcha may also appear.
Enter your PNR
The site checks whether the PNR is eligible. If it is, choose how many dogs or cats are travelling and enter the details of one of your ID cards.
Pay and keep the luggage ticket
Pay through the SBI gateway, for example by UPI. You get a luggage ticket number on screen, the ticket by email and an SMS, and the pet then shows against your name on the ticket examiner's chart.
Which way can my pet travel on my ticket?
It depends on your class and on what the chart gives your PNR: only a whole First AC or First Class coupe or cabin lets a pet ride with you.
If you hold First AC or First Class and the chart gives your PNR the whole 2-berth coupe or 4-berth cabin
Your dog or cat rides with you. Book it online between the first chart and the final chart. IRCTC
If you hold First AC or First Class but share the cabin with another PNR
The online booking refuses the pet. A dog can still travel in the brake-van dog box. IRCTC
If your ticket is in 2AC, 3AC, AC chair car, sleeper or second class
The dog cannot ride with you. Book it into the dog box at the luggage office, at least 3 hours before departure. Southern Railway
If your ticket is not confirmed
Southern Railway books a dog only for a passenger holding a confirmed or reserved ticket on that train. Southern Railway
If your pet is a puppy or kitten small enough for a basket
It may travel with you in any class, after the usual booking charge. IRCTC
If your dog is too big for the dog box
It travels in a special vehicle, at the rates and conditions set for horses. Indian Railways
If you have a grown cat and no coupe
Petym found no official rule for a grown cat in the brake van. Ask the parcel office at your boarding station before you travel.
What happens at the station when my dog goes in the dog box?
A dog that cannot ride with you is booked as luggage and travels in the brake van's dog box, under the supervision of the train manager (guard).
The vet
24 to 48 hours before the journey, get a certificate that the dog has no infectious or contagious disease. Southern Railway
The luggage office
At least 3 hours before departure: the dog, your confirmed ticket, ID, the certificate and the vaccination card. Keep the receipt. Southern Railway
The brake van
Chained, in a mouth guard, one dog to a box. Hand the guard's part of the receipt to the guard. Southern Railway
On the way
The guard supervises the dog; you provide its drinking water and food. Southern Railway
Arrival
Show your part of the receipt to the guard to collect your dog. Southern Railway
How much does a pet's train ticket cost?
No rupee table is published: the booking screen works out the charge for your train and distance. These are the rules it applies, with one worked example from Indian Railways' own booking guide.
As published
- Dog or cat with you in a coupeScale L rate on 60 kg Indian Railways
- Example: one dog, New Delhi to Howrah, First AC on the 12302 Rajdhani, 25 August 2026Rs 819 incl. GSTAn example in the booking guide, not a tariff: older screenshots in the same guides show other amounts. Indian Railways parcel website (CRIS)
- Cat with you, booked onlineSame as a dogThe same rate on the same 60 kg in the guide's example. Indian Railways parcel website (CRIS)
- Dog in the brake-van dog boxScale L rate on 30 kgMinimum Rs 10 in Indian Railways' luggage rules; Rs 30 on South Eastern Railway's page. Indian Railways
- What Scale L isScale P + 80%The luggage rate is the parcel rate plus 80%. Indian Railways Parcel Management System
- Puppy or kitten in a basketThe usual booking chargeNo amount is published. IRCTC
- Guide dog with a blind passenger in First ClassThe dog-box rate Indian Railways
- Dog found unbooked, or in a barred coach6 × the luggage rateMinimum Rs 50 in the luggage rules; Rs 30 in Southern Railway's 2022 notice. Indian Railways
- Refund of an online pet ticketNoneNot if you cancel the PNR, and not if the train is cancelled or late. IRCTC
The guide shows the amount including GST, but not the GST rate.
What should I carry for my pet on the train?
The railway asks for papers when you book and kit on the platform; keep all of it with you until your pet is back with you.
- Your confirmed ticket and photo ID, the online form asks for one of your ID cards IRCTC
- A vet's fitness certificate from 24 to 48 hours before the journey Southern Railway
- The vaccination card Southern Railway
- The luggage ticket: by email and SMS when booked online, or your part of the counter receipt IRCTC
- A collar and chain Indian Railways
- A mouth guard for a dog going in the brake van Southern Railway
- Drinking water and food for the whole journey Southern Railway
- A basket for a puppy or kitten IRCTC
- A cage for a cat, the online booking lists it as “Cat in cage” IRCTC
What if the booking or the journey goes wrong?
Most problems come from the chart: online booking opens only when the chart puts your PNR in a whole coupe or cabin.
If the site says “No Dog/Cat booking Allowed”
Your PNR does not hold a whole coupe or cabin, or the first chart is not ready. Try again after the chart; if no coupe was allotted, book the dog into the dog box at the luggage office at least 3 hours before departure. IRCTC
If you paid but no luggage ticket or SMS arrived
Email the railway's pet booking help address, [email protected], with a screenshot. Indian Railways parcel website (CRIS)
If fellow passengers object to the dog in First AC
Southern Railway's notice says the dog is moved to the guard's van, and nothing is refunded. Southern Railway
If a ticket examiner finds a dog unbooked or in a barred coach
The dog is moved to the brake van at once, and you pay six times the luggage rate. Indian Railways
If something goes wrong on the train or at the station
Complain on RailMadad under train or station complaints, and call 139 for security or medical help. Ministry of Railways
If your pet is hurt or lost
Unless you declared a higher value and paid the percentage charge when booking, the railway's liability for a dog is capped at Rs 30, and it is never liable for harm caused by the animal's fright or restlessness. Indian Railways
What do people get wrong about pets on Indian trains?
You may have read
If the other passengers agree, my dog can stay with me in 2AC or 3AC.
Myth
What the sources say
Dogs are barred from AC sleeper, AC chair car, sleeper and second class whatever anyone agrees. The consent wording on the railway's undated luggage page is about First Class, and IRCTC's terms now ask for the whole coupe or cabin. Indian Railways
You may have read
Any First AC ticket lets my pet ride with me.
Myth
What the sources say
Only when the whole 2-berth coupe or 4-berth cabin is on your PNR. The divisional or General Manager's office gives a request for one due consideration, but does not guarantee it. IRCTC
You may have read
I can book my pet's ticket when I book mine.
Myth
What the sources say
Online pet booking opens only after the first chart is prepared, and closes when the final chart is prepared. IRCTC
You may have read
Every train has a dog box.
Myth
What the sources say
No list of trains with one is published. Southern Railway's notice places the dog box in the luggage-cum-brake van of conventional ICF coaches, so ask the luggage office at your boarding station first. Southern Railway
When did online pet booking start on Indian Railways?
The online dog and cat module went live in 2024: CRIS reported it ready to the Railway Board on 13 March 2024, and zonal railways circulated it to staff in April 2024. Before that, every pet was booked at the station.
The booking guide has been revised since. The copy linked from the booking page was updated in August 2026 with new screenshots, including the first rupee example and a cat charged like a dog, while the terms stayed the same.
Is there a pet box on Vande Bharat sleeper trains?
From news reports, not yet an official source.
No railway circular or official page confirms it, and no official charge is published.
25 February 2026
The Current India reported a pet box on Vande Bharat sleeper trains, and that Indian Railways had published no separate charge for it. The Current Indianews report
29 April 2026
Curly Tales, crediting India Today, described an enclosure at both ends of the train, booked only at the boarding station's parcel office at least 3 hours before departure, for one pet per confirmed PNR. Curly Talesnews report
28 June 2026
Channel I'M described the box as having holders for food and water. Channel I'Mnews report
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
Can I take my dog in 2AC or 3AC on Indian Railways?
- No. Indian Railways does not allow dogs in AC sleeper coaches, which include 2AC and 3AC, or in AC chair car, sleeper or second class. The dog travels in the brake-van dog box instead.
How much does it cost to take a dog on an Indian train?
- The charge is the Scale L luggage rate on a fixed weight: 30 kg in the dog box and 60 kg in a First AC or First Class compartment. No rupee table is published; Indian Railways' August 2026 booking guide shows one dog from New Delhi to Howrah in a First AC Rajdhani coupe at Rs 819 including GST, as an example.
Do I need a vet certificate to take my dog on a train?
- Yes. Southern Railway's notice asks for a vet's fitness certificate obtained 24 to 48 hours before the journey, shown with the vaccination card when you book the dog.
Can I book my dog's train ticket on IRCTC?
- Yes, if you travel in First AC or First Class and your PNR holds a whole coupe or cabin. Use Dogs/Cats Booking on IRCTC after the first chart is prepared. Dog-box bookings are made at the station's parcel or luggage office.
Is the dog's train fare refunded if the train is cancelled?
- No. IRCTC's terms say the freight for an online dog or cat luggage ticket is not refunded if you cancel the PNR, or if the train is cancelled or runs late.
What happens if I take my dog on a train without a ticket for it?
- The dog is moved to the brake van and you pay six times the luggage scale rate. The minimum is Rs 50 on Indian Railways' luggage rules and Rs 30 in Southern Railway's 2022 notice.
Can I take my cat on a train in India?
- Yes, in First AC or First Class when the whole coupe or cabin is on your PNR, booked online after the first chart, Indian Railways' August 2026 guide shows a cat charged like a dog, on 60 kg. A kitten small enough for a basket may travel in any class. Petym found no official rule for a grown cat in the brake van.
Can I carry a puppy in sleeper class?
- Yes, if it fits in a basket: puppies and kittens in a basket may travel in any class after the usual booking charge. Southern Railway also asks for a confirmed ticket and proof of identity.
Can my dog travel with me on a Rajdhani Express?
- Yes, in First AC when the whole coupe or cabin is on your PNR, Indian Railways' own booking guide uses a First AC coupe on the 12302 Howrah Rajdhani as its example. A dog cannot ride with you in the Rajdhani's 2AC or 3AC.
Whom do I contact if the IRCTC dog or cat booking fails?
- Email [email protected] with a screenshot, the help address on Indian Railways' dog and cat booking page. For a problem on the train or at the station, use RailMadad or call 139.
Keep reading
- Flying with a pet in IndiaWhich airlines carry dogs and cats, and for how much.
- Road trips with a petBy car instead: carriers, harnesses and breaks.
- Travelling with a pet in IndiaEvery way to travel, in one place.
- Air India pet policyCabin pets up to 10 kg.
- Akasa Air pet policyCabin and hold pets on domestic flights.
- Taking a pet abroad from IndiaThe AQCS export certificate.
Keep exploring
More ways to travel with a pet
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- IRCTC: Online ticket booking of dogs and cats: general terms and conditions, and user guide (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Railways parcel website (CRIS): Online ticket booking of dogs and cats: terms and user guide (August 2026 revision) (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Railways parcel website (CRIS): Login for dog and cat booking on train (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Railways: Rules for luggage, including rules and rates for the conveyance of dogs (undated) (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Railways Parcel Management System: Parcel rules: business rules for booking of parcels (opens in a new tab)
- Southern Railway: Rules for carrying pet dogs in trains and procedure for booking (press release 426/2022-23, 2 November 2022) (opens in a new tab)
Show all 12 sourcesShow fewer
- South Eastern Railway: How to carry pet dogs (opens in a new tab)
- East Coast Railway: Commercial Circular No. 134 (9 April 2024): online booking of dogs and cats in First AC and First Class (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Railways: RailMadad: grievance redressal (opens in a new tab)
- The Current India: Vande Bharat sleeper pet box (25 February 2026, updated 2 March 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Curly Tales: How to book the pet box service on Vande Bharat Sleeper trains (29 April 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Channel I'M: Pet box facility on Vande Bharat Sleeper (28 June 2026) (opens in a new tab)