In time for travel this summer and back-to-school this fall, the complete five-state Amtrak Midwest network will welcome dogs and cats on trains. The Chicago-St. Louis corridor, served by Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains, is the final addition to the pet-friendly policy following substantial completion of the major track improvements on that route.
Reservations are required and a surcharge of $25 (or 800 Amtrak Guest Rewards points) is assessed for travel each way. Dogs or cats up to 20-pounds each are accepted in carriers that can be placed under the seat of each pet owner.
With this change in place, some of the most popular destinations in the region are connected by pet-friendly trains, including the state capitals of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri.
More than 5,600 pets have been safely carried with their care-givers on the state-sponsored Amtrak trains with a Chicago hub, starting with a pilot program that began in Illinois in 2014 and became permanent in 2015. It is now nationwide on Amtrak on trips of up to seven hours.
