Hong Kong
CNN
—
China will launch a fleet of special “silver trains” specially built for the comfort and safety of elderly people to encourage its rapidly ageing population to travel – and spend – more, as it grapples with a demographic decline and stuttering economy.
Berths in the new trains will be tailored to be more comfortable for elderly travelers and come with features like handrails, oxygen bottles and emergency call buttons, according to state-run national tabloid Global Times.
Also on board will be carers and professional medical staff who can provide limited treatments and prescribe emergency medicines.
The plan is to roll out a nationwide network of the “silver trains” by 2027, according to the plans released Tuesday by China’s commerce and tourism ministry and other government departments.
China’s gigantic rail network that links its icy northern provinces near Siberia to the subtropical hills bordering Vietnam carried more than four billion passengers last year, according to state media.
In contrast, US national rail operator Amtrak reported carrying just 32.8 million customers during the last fiscal year – and that was a record high.
As part of the ‘silver train’ plan, Chinese officials also called on popular tourist spots to upgrade their facilities to make it easier for elderly sightseers to access them and invited catering brands and performing groups to pitch their services for the new trains.
For decades, Chinese workers have wrapped up their working lives relatively young: at 60 for men and as early as 50 for women – although last year the government announced plans to push those ages back.
“The elderly, especially the retired, have both the time and financial resources” to travel, Global Times quoted Zhang Lingyun, professor and the executive editor-in-chief of Tourism Tribune as saying.
The trains are part of the government’s attempts to “promote services consumption,” according to state media – something the government is struggling to do among younger generations grappling with job insecurity and an ongoing property slump.
Meanwhile, its elderly population is growing – those aged over 60 accounted for 22% of the total population last year – while the working population – classified as those between the ages of 16 and 59 – has been in decline.
Currently, China has 1,860 tourist trains nationwide, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Their major clientele is middle-aged and elderly travelers, who account for 80% of ticket sales.
Some rail companies are already targeting silver-hair passengers.
A train which departed recently from the southwestern city of Chengdu for a five-day sightseeing trip offered elderly passengers a Chinese folk song and bian lian performance – or face-changing – a traditional opera art involving the actor quickly shifting their bright-colored masks to the music.
The train, which headed south to offer travelers a breathtaking view of a sea of rapeseed flowers at Luoping in the Yunnan province and the Malinghe Canyon in Guizhou province, was also fitted with a karaoke lounge, chess room and reading area, CCTV reported.
“Compared with other trains, this train is much more advanced in every aspect. It comes with stewards, medical staff, and dining cars. It has everything,” passenger Li Guangfu told CCTV.
