Amtrak bill includes measure to allow travel with pets

The Amtrak funding bill approved by the House on Wednesday includes a provision that would allow passengers to bring pets on Amtrak trains.

The measure in the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act (PRRIA) would allow passengers to bring their dog or cat in a pet carrier. Under a pilot program, Amtrak would designate at least one car per train for pets.

The provision was included by U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), who, for the past several years, has been encouraging Amtrak to establish a policy on pets. Denham became interested in the issue when he was prevented from bringing his pet French bulldog Lily on an Amtrak train.

"Lily often accompanies me when I fly across the country, and it just doesn't make sense that I can bring her with me on a plane, but she can't come with me on a train," Denham wrote Feb. 19 in a post on his Facebook page.

The House-approved PRRIA, which would provide nearly $8 billion in Amtrak funding over the next four years, now goes to the Senate for consideration.