Transferring by train is also possible but is one of the worst options to transfer a dog, especially if your journey duration spans more than a couple of hours. The reason being due to the conditions in which dogs are transferred in the Indian Railways. The current provisions for transferring dogs is through a small compartment which is set aside for dogs inside the guard room which is at the very end of the train.

The process for registering for the same is to approach the luggage area of the railways station no earlier than two hours before the scheduled departure of the train.

There is only one dog compartment in each train and the same is reserved on a first come first serve basis. Also the compartment is reserved for only one person and sharing of space is not allowed. The other important thing to note is that the compartment is not present in all trains, so you should check whether the compartment is there or not in your train before making the trip. In particular the compartment is typically not there in all Rajdhani trains.

The bigger problem which comes in using this option is related to the structure of the compartment. Once the dog is inside the compartment it is closed from all sides and only has a grilled window on one side. The space in the compartment is also limited so if you have a Labrador or other big dog, he/she will not be able to stand in the compartment. The movement space is also extremely limited. Also, typically the compartment is not very clean and does not have adequate drainage also. So incase your dog has to go during the journey he/she will have to no place to other than the compartment itself.

All-in-all it is extremely ill-advised to transfer your dog through train for a journey more than 10 hours. For around 10 hours the best option is to give the dog a sleeping pill (after consulting with a vet) so that the dog can pass the time easily. For most dogs such an experience can be traumatic if the duration goes well above 10 hours and might result in your pet going into depression. It is also fairly common that some dogs are unable to come out of depression for the rest of their lives.

Even for a limited period of time extreme caution should be taken while transferring a dog through train. One good practice is to go to the guard room at every junction where the train stops for a long time. Once at the guard room, you can request the guard to take the dog out and take him for a small stroll in the station itself. Additionally if you are more enterprising you can also request the guard to keep the dog outside the guard room and sit with him/her between stations.

Transferring by train is not very expensive and typically costs around Rs 500 only.