Photo via VCG

Starting from June 28, China Railway has pilot-launched the "Easy Travel" service at 19 stations including Beijing West Railway Station, Beijing South Railway Station, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, Shanghai Railway Station, Hangzhou East Railway Station, Hangzhou Railway Station, Hefei South Railway Station, Guangzhou South Railway Station, Shenzhen North Railway Station, Changsha South Railway Station, Chengdu East Railway Station, Chengdu West Railway Station, Kunming Railway Station, Kunming South Railway Station, Dali Railway Station, Lijiang Railway Station, Baoshan Railway Station, Pu'er Railway Station, and Xishuangbanna Railway Station,.

This service offers passengers "door-to-station" and "station-to-door" luggage transfer within the same city. Meanwhile, the "Easy Travel" function has been rolled out on the railway 12306 App and WeChat mini-programs, enabling passengers to make online reservations.

In the same city and within 35 kilometers of the departure or arrival stations, passengers may choose between two "Easy Travel" services based on their actual needs. The first is the "door-to-station" luggage transfer service for departing passengers. Selecting this service entails staff collecting checked luggage compliant with regulations from the passenger's specified location and transporting it to the departure station, where, after security clearance, the luggage will be delivered to the passenger's boarding platform or a designated in-station luggage service cabinet/counter. The second is the "station-to-door" luggage handling service for arriving passengers. Selecting this service entails staff collecting luggage from the passenger's arrival platform or a designated in-station luggage service cabinet/counter, then delivering it to the specified location within the agreed timeframes.

For the "door-to-station" service, reservations must be made between 48 hours and four hours before departure. Staff will collect luggage compliant with regulations from the passenger's specified location, transport it to the departure station, and after security clearance, store it in a luggage service cabinet 30 minutes before departure, or deliver it to the platform 10 minutes before departure as per the passenger's request.

For the "station-to-door" service, reservations must be made between 24 hours and one hour before train arrival. Staff will collect luggage from the passenger's boarding platform or designated in-station luggage service cabinet/counter and deliver it to the specified location within five hours of collection. Orders can be cancelled free of charge anytime before staff collection.

Before luggage delivery to the specified location, staff will confirm with the passenger by phone. If the passenger temporarily experiences itinerary changes such as ticket refund or re-booking, subsequent procedures will be handled according to the agreement and corresponding fees will be charged.

Passengers selecting the "Easy Travel" service must ensure that the luggage weight and dimensions comply with the "Regulations of China State Railway Group on Passenger Railway Transport", which stipulate that each child passenger may carry 10 kilograms, each diplomatic personnel may carry 35 kilograms, and other passengers may carry 20 kilograms per person, with the sum of the length, width and height of a single piece of luggage not exceeding 160 centimeters for conventional trains and 130 centimeters for CRH trains. They shall also comply with the relevant requirements of the "Catalogue of Items Prohibited or Restricted for Carriage and Check-in by Railway Passengers" issued by the National Railway Administration and the Ministry of Public Security.

During the pilot phase of the "Easy Travel" service, fees are charged per piece, with the price being CNY 68 per piece for "from departure point to station" and "from station to destination", and CNY 98 per piece for "from departure point to the boarding platform" and "from the boarding platform to destination". Subsequent adjustments will be made dynamically based on market demand, operational costs, and other factors. Passengers requiring additional information about the "East Travel" service can call the customer service hotlines 12306 and 95572, or inquire on the China Railway 12306 App, WeChat mini-program, and station announcements.

(Source: China Railway)