To better meet passengers' demands for travelling with pets, China's railway authorities have expanded the pilot programme for high-speed rail pet consignment services, which began on  June 20, 2025. The service now covers 25 stations across eight major routes, including the Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Harbin, and Shanghai-Kunming lines, as well as 38 EMU trains. Passengers may consign one domestically raised cat or dog per journey, provided the pet meets health requirements, weighs under 15 kilograms, and measures no more than 40 centimeters at the shoulder.

On April 8, railway authorities launched a pilot programme for high-speed rail pet consignment services featuring "quarantined transport, separation of pets and owners, and dedicated caretakers" across five stations and 10 EMU trains on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail lines. The pilot service scope has now been expanded to include sections of the Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Harbin, and Shanghai-Kunming high-speed rail lines. This expansion adds 20 more stations eligible for pet consignment services, including Beijingxi (Beijing West), Zhengzhoudong (Zhengzhou East), Wuhan, Changshanan (Changsha South), Guangzhounan (Guangzhou South), Shenzhenbei (Shenzhen North), Shenyangbei (Shengyang North), Dalianbei (Dalian North), Harbinxi (Harbin West), Xi'anbei (Xi'an North), Chengdudong (Chengdu East), and Qingdao, along with trains such as G335, G1377, G491/492, G935, G1591, and G208.

Passengers may utilize the "pet consignment" feature on the China Railway 12306 app to check eligible train services, purchase tickets, and book same-train pet consignment services online. Upon successful reservation, passengers shall carry their pets along with the valid identification documents used for ticket purchase, and the Animal Quarantine Certificate to the China Railway Express Business Office at the departure high-speed rail station before travel at the designated time to complete consignment procedures. After arriving at the destination station, passengers may collect their pets according to SMS notifications or telephone instructions. In response to high summer temperatures, railway authorities will enhance disinfection of high-speed rail express lockers and pet carriers, strengthen whole-process safety controls, and continuously improve the quality of high-speed rail pet consignment services.

For additional information on high-speed rail pet consignment services, please feel free to contact the customer service hotlines 12306 and 95572 or inquire via the China Railway 12306 app. 

(Source: China Railway)

Click here to know about the tips for canine keeping.