Zoo animals transported from Jammu to Chennai by train

Jammu, Mar 4: The Jammu Railway Division of Northern Railway has achieved another historic milestone with its maiden initiative of successful transportation of rare zoo animals from Jammu to Chennai.

The animals being transported included two leopard cats and two black bears.

“For the first time in railway history, rare zoo animals were successfully transported over the long distance from Jammu to MGR Chennai by the Jammu Railway Division, under the leadership of Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager on March 3, 2026. These animals, including two leopard cats and two black bears, were transported from Jammu to MGR Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu by the VPU coach of train number 16032. These zoo animals will reach MGR Chennai from Jammu in 54 hours, a shorter time than road transport,” informed Raghvender Singh, Public Relations Inspector, Jammu Railway Division.

“This journey is not only one of the longest wildlife journeys from north to south, but also sets a new standard in safe transportation. This is a milestone,” he stated.

Elaborating on another achievement of the Jammu Division, Singh said that a special parcel coach (VPU) was used on train number 16032 to transport these zoo animals.

“A special team of zoo doctors and wildlife experts will be present throughout the journey to monitor the health and safety of the animals. This special parcel coach will depart from Jammu Railway Station and travel approximately 2,800 km to reach Chennai. Strict Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standards were followed for the animals’ welfare during the journey, including food and water arrangements,” Singh revealed.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, Uchit Singhal, sharing the significance of the maiden initiative, said, “The Jammu Division is moving forward with new initiatives every day. Previously, 23 exotic bulls were transported from Bengaluru to Kashmir by rail. Following this, in another initiative, the zoo animals are being transported by MGR Chennai Rail Transport.”

He reiterated that rail transport was safer than road transport. “It ensures a stress-free journey for the animals even in adverse weather. We deployed a team of experienced veterinarians and keepers to monitor the animals’ health throughout the journey. Such organized transportation demonstrates the new capabilities of the railways,” Singhal said.