Pets on trains a hit for Amtrak and riders

Last month, Ted Moche, an anesthesiologist, traveled for business from his home in Groton, Mass., to New York City and brought along his family. Moche, his wife and kids, and their 2-year-old Maltese, Tucker, packed into a limousine and headed south. But they weren’t crazy about the ride — they felt cramped, and traffic delayed their journey. In New York, between work obligations, Moche joined his family in Central Park. They ate at Carnegie Deli and saw Wicked, returning at night to the dog-friendly Trump International.

At the last minute, thanks to pleas from his children, Moche called Amtrak to see if they could take the Acela back to Boston. He was concerned about booking so close to the departure. But mostly, he was concerned about Tucker.

“I was pretty worried,” Moche said. “If they didn’t take pets, I'm not sure what I would have done.”

Unbeknownst to Moche, the timing was perfect. Amtrak had recently started a pilot allowing small cats and dogs on Acela for weekend rides. The cost of bringing a pet is $25, in addition to the human’s ticket. Tucker, all three pounds of him, was among the first passengers, and Moche was delighted.

“It’s like travel hadn’t caught up to all the dog-friendly hotels and resorts,” said Moche, who bristles at the thought of checking Tucker into a kennel. “This is bringing travel up to speed.”

After the success of a 2014 pilot program in Illinois and a much larger pilot along the Northeast Corridor this past fall and winter, Amtrak announced in February that its pet program on the Northeast Regional and Downeaster routes (from Norfolk, Va., to Brunswick, Maine) would become permanent. They also added the service for longer trips, for which all of the legs (pun intended) do not exceed seven hours. The longer Auto Train from Virginia to Florida, for instance, is not included. At the same time, they announced the Acela Express pilot, which runs into June.

“The [Northeast Corridor] pilot exceeded our expectations,” said Amtrak president and CEO Joe Boardman, who had trained as a young man to become a veterinarian. “It makes our pet-owner customer happier, and it increases our revenue. We see this as a success.”

For sure, Amtrak must be pleased with nearly $500,000 in revenue from the 4,600 passengers who traveled with their pets between October and March. But perhaps even more encouraging than the numbers is the fact that Amtrak didn’t receive any negative feedback during the pilot from customers who shared cars with a furry passenger. (Amtrak limits the number of animals to one per passenger and five per car; the quiet and cafe cars remain pet-free.)

Furthermore, it wasn’t a case of dachshunds dashing up the aisles or a Siamese slinking around seats. Pets and their humans followed protocol, according to Amtrak, which means the animals traveled in their carriers and were healthy and non-aggressive, as required in the fine print. Much of the feedback came from customers requesting expanded services — such as the inclusion of other pets and those that exceed the current 20-pound limit.

Before these pet programs began, only service dogs were permitted on Amtrak trains, while pets have been allowed on many commercial flights for decades, and regional trains have historically been more welcoming to the four-legged set. Amtrak did allow cats and dogs in the 1970s, but the service ran into problems with poor climate control in the baggage cars, where the animals rode, leading to some fatalities. Today, the pets ride with their families, in a soft carrier under the seat.

Rep. Jeff Denham of California, who in 2013 introduced a bill that would require Amtrak to implement a pet policy, said he and Amtrak’s Boardman talked about the idea nearly five years ago.

“I told him I was surprised to find out my small dog Lily could fly back and forth with me to California, but she wasn’t allowed to ride on the train,” said Denham, chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. His office fielded numerous calls and emails from constituents interested in train travel with their pets. In 2014, Denham created a Pets on Train working group to examine the impact of a pilot program. The group included representatives from Amtrak, the Humane Society of the United States and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. The pet legislation was part of a highway bill that passed in December.

“When we brought it up with Amtrak, and they surveyed it, they saw how much new ridership they could get not just in the Northeast Corridor but across the country,” he said. “Not only is the support bipartisan, but this is about love for your pet that you want to be able to travel with.”

Boardman said he expects the program to expand, but it will be done cautiously.

“We need to be careful how many animals we have on the train,” he said. “It won’t just be a Wild West situation where you have a python and a gerbil.” Challenges remain: In some regions, passengers may be bused between train stations, and the buses aren’t pet-friendly; and if Amtrak arranges lodging for passengers due to a delay, the hotel may not allow animals. Naturally, some conductors are keener than others about canines and felines in their cars, but the overall reception, Boardman said, has been positive.

Moche was concerned about Tucker bothering other passengers, but the dog slept throughout the trip. Amtrak staff shared pictures of their own pets, and no one, Moche says, “gave us weird looks.”

Knowing about the pet program, Moche said, his family — and Tucker, naturally — will be taking more leisure trips to New York. “If we can take the dog for $25 and do a weekend, heck, that’s a no-brainer.”

Tips for traveling with pets on trains

• Advance reservations are required for pet travel. To reserve a spot, call 800-USA-RAIL. The surcharge is $25, and pets are permitted to travel for stretches up to seven hours.

• Your cat or dog must be 20 pounds or less and needs to travel in a soft carrier that will fit under the seat.

• If your pet’s not used to travel, introduce the carrier at home with treats and toys. Practice carrier travel for short drives in the car so the pet is more relaxed when it’s time to hit the rails.

• When you check in at Amtrak, you will be asked to sign a waiver agreeing that your pet is healthy and non-aggressive.

• While you may not be asked for it, have your pet’s current vaccination records on hand.