Starting April 8, China Railway piloted a pet consignment service featuring "separate transportation, separation of passengers and pets, and dedicated care" on select trains of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway. The railway service platform "12306" will enable the reservation of "pet consignment," which requires passengers to make an online reservation at least two days in advance. Following a successful reservation, passengers may consign one family-domesticated cat or dog that is in good health, weighs no more than 15 kilograms, and has a shoulder height of no more than 40 centimeters on the same train.
According to a manager at China Railway Express Co., Ltd.(hereinafter referred to as "China Railway Express"), from April 8, the service will be piloted between five stations (Beijingnan, Jinanxi, Nanjingnan, Shanghai Hongqiao, and Hangzhoudong)on 10 high-speed trains of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, including G119/118, G121/122, G127, G134, G183/184, and G195/196.
The manager pointed out that pet transportation will incorporate the following three measures.
Firstly, special equipment will be used for separate transportation. Independently developed pet transport boxes, featuring air circulation, oxygen content and temperature/humidity monitoring, noise reduction, and odor removal, will be employed. Throughout the journey, pets will be stored in these boxes, which are placed in dedicated cabinets on the train, effectively minimizing their impacts on the train's internal environment due to fur, odors, and sounds.
Secondly, pets will be stored independently throughout the journey. Each train will have a designated set of cabinets for pet transport boxes, typically located at one end of the middle carriage and relatively isolated from the passengers. To ensure a good environment inside the train and the safety of the pets, staff will not open the boxes.
Thirdly, enhanced monitoring, regular inspections, and dedicated care will be provided for the pets. The staff will observe their condition through the monitoring system of the boxes and conduct inspections at intervals of no more than two hours. During travel, appropriate amounts of drinking water will be provided to the pets as needed, but no food will be given. It should also be noted that consignors are not allowed to visit the pets. When the consignment is completed, the staff will promptly clean and disinfect the box. After the train reaches its final destination, a more comprehensive cleaning and disinfection of the cabinet will be conducted.
The pet delivery service will implement the rule of "simultaneous departure and arrival of passengers and their pets." Passengers can query the corresponding train numbers through the "pet consignment" feature on the 12306 mobile app, purchase tickets, and book the service on the same train at least two days in advance. Before boarding the train, passengers should bring their pets, valid identification documents used for ticket purchase, and a valid "Animal Quarantine Certificate" to the China Railway Express business department at the departure station to complete all consignment procedures. After arriving at the destination station, passengers can pick up their pets according to the text message or phone notification.
The pilot service will be priced in tiers according to the transportation mileage, with an initial 30% discount. Additionally, complimentary insurance with an insured amount of 2,000 yuan will be provided. Passengers are reminded that they can call the 12306 and 95572 customer service hotlines or check the 12306 mobile app for more information.
Editor | Li Lan (intern), Wang Lihan (intern), Liu Lingzhi, James, Shen He
