- Small dogs can be carried free of charge provided they travel on the owners lap
- The dog must be kept on a lead at all times unless contained in a basket or in an appropriate container. Dogs on the restricted breeds list must be muzzled while travelling onboard our services
- Small cats can be carried free of charge provided they travel in a secure carrier on the customer’s lap
- Animals are not allowed in restaurant cars with the exception of Guide dogs or Assistance dogs
- If a customer objects to the presence of a dog in their carriage, the owner will be requested to move to another part of the train
Dogs On-board Trains
Guide dogs and Assistance dogs are permitted to travel on all our services without restriction. An assistance dog must be clearly identifiable by official coat, medallion and lead to distinguish it as a working dog and not a pet. A Guide dog must be clearly identifiable by official coat and harness. Only one Guide dog or Assistance dog is permitted per passenger.
Accompanied dogs, other than those described above, can only be conveyed on Intercity services in a Guards Van (non-passenger compartment) if available (eg Dublin/Cork and Dublin/Belfast services only). Charges will apply. Dogs conveyed in a Guard’s Van must be
- secured with a collar and chain and efficiently muzzled
- The construction of the muzzle must render it impossible for the dog to bite any person or animal, but it should not prevent the dog from breathing freely or lapping water; or it must be contained in a wooden case, cage, basket or hamper constructed to make it impossible for the dog to bite any person or animal
- The receptacle must be sufficiently large to allow the dog to stand up and lie down with ease and comfort and must be adequately ventilated
- All dogs conveyed in the Guards Van (non-passenger compartment) must be properly labelled giving the name, address and destination of the owner
If there is no guard’s van (non-passenger compartment) on a service, dogs (other than Guide Dogs, Assistance dogs and small/lap dogs) may not be carried on that train.
Iarnród Éireann reserve the right to refuse to carry any animal which, in the opinion of station staff, is causing or is likely to cause inconvenience to passengers due to its size or behaviour. On train staff are also authorised to have such animals removed from the train.
