How to travel with pets in Indian railways – Step by Step guide!
If you want to know How to travel with pets in Indian railways in India or if you have to travel with your pet in case of some emergency then this article will explain everything you need to know!
This is an easy and cheap way to travel with your pet in Indian railways by keeping them in the Guard van.
The Guard van
The guard van or Brake van is the tiny compartment located at the end of passenger trains in the Indian railways. It is used to apply the breaks, the guard sits in the van and there is a tiny compartment where pets are kept.
You can experience how the guard van in Indian railways looks like in the 360°, The box in which we keep the pet is located just below where my cat is sitting.
For all the train journey which is less than 24 hours, this method is suitable. The journeys which are more than 24 hours will be difficult for your pet. In case you are traveling for more than 24 hours then try this method.
The only disadvantage of this journey is the weather. The cabins do not have AC so in the summer season it may become painful for your dog or cat. Sometimes the pets have died in these cases.
The Pet Box
This is how the pet box looks like this from inside. My cat got very tensed as she never traveled before. The food and water can be placed inside the containers which are present in the cage. I will prefer to keep the food and water in separate bowls as the existing ones are not clean.
The pets get tensed because of the noise and the shaky cabin. The pets will try to come out of the cage. To avoid such scenarios keep checking on your pet periodically, you can ask the guard to keep an eye on him too.
I shared my mobile number with the guard and he kept me updated about my cat. Snowy also came out of the cage once and the guard called me.
Taking care of pet’s pee and poop
The pets usually get stressed during traveling so they don’t eat or drink much. In my face my pet didn’t eat anything not did he peed or pooped. If you are traveling with a dog then you have to take them on a walk whenever the train stops at the station with a longer halt.
In case of cat i used a cardboard box and filled it with lots of shredded newspaper. I also kept some more as backup with me. Whenever the cat wanted to do their business they did it then i threw the whole clump in dustbin.
Please don’t throw it out from the train door.
Steps for onboarding pets in Train
- Get the Fitness certificate of your pet from the vet on the day of the journey reach at least 3 hours early in the station
- Reach the station 2 hours before the journey to avoid the rush.
- Go to the parcel office and show them your tickets and Fitness certificate of your pet and ask them to book your pet,
- They will weigh your pet and ask you to pay normal parcel charges.
- Go with the Parcel employee and keep your pet in the Guard van, Make sure you keep enough food and water so that they are well-fed
- Board the train and enjoy the journey
- In between the journey make sure you check on them. if the pet is a dog then have a walk with them so that they can do pee and poop.
- Enjoy the journey
Watch the video on YouTube for more details.