Amtrak now allows pets on long-distance routes

Amtrak on Tuesday expanded its pets-on-board program to long-distance trains across the country.

Passengers are now allowed to bring small pets onto trains for trips up to seven hours long on most long-distance routes, the national passenger railroad said in a press release.

Additionally, Amtrak tomorrow will begin a weekend-only pilot of the program on the Acela Express on the Northeast Corridor.

The railroad has made the pets program permanent on eastern and select Midwest corridor trains after a successful test period, Amtrak officials said.

The program's expansion follows passage of the Pets on Trains Act of 2015, which directed Amtrak to propose a pet policy allowing passengers to bring cats or dogs on certain trains.