Recently, passengers found that more and more trains have green "pet" signs next to them when booking tickets on the 12306 Railway App, which means that this train can handle pet check-in services. Since April 8, 2025, the railway department has launched a pilot program for high-speed rail pet transportation services. The pilot scope has been expanded multiple times, from the initial 5 stations and 10 trains to the current 110 stations and 170 trains. More and more passengers are able to travel with their pets, and the range of travel is becoming wider. The interviewed experts believe that the continuous improvement of high-speed rail pet transportation services not only represents an upgrade of convenient services, but also a microcosm of the progress of public service concepts. In the past, pet travel was often seen as a "niche demand", but the railway department has incorporated this personalized demand into the framework of convenient services by expanding the pilot scope and optimizing processes. Ms. Wang, who lives in Beijing, has had multiple experiences of traveling with her pet cat. She said that before the introduction of pet transportation services on high-speed trains, carrying pets for travel was expensive and time-consuming, making implementation difficult. For example, from Beijing to Tianjin, I can take the high-speed train alone for only about 50 yuan, which takes me half an hour to arrive; But if you want to bring a pet, you have to choose a ride that costs over 200 yuan per trip, doubling the price and time, but safety is not guaranteed, and it is basically impossible to go further. ”Ms. Wang gave an example. On April 8th last year, the railway department piloted the high-speed rail pet transport service, providing a more convenient and reliable option for passengers like Ms. Wang who need to travel with pets. Last August, Ms. Wang brought her pet cat from Hangzhou to Changsha. This time, she chose to try the high-speed rail pet transportation service. Before departure, I browsed through various websites' guides. I was originally very nervous, but in reality, the experience was much smoother than I had imagined. From buying tickets and making reservations, to handling check-in procedures, and finally picking up pets at the station, every step was clearly guided, which was both convenient and safe! "Recalling her first experience of traveling with pets, Ms. Wang sighed. What are the processes and costs of pet transportation services during this year's Spring Festival travel rush? To this end, the staff of the 12306 China Railway Customer Service Hotline introduced that currently, high-speed rail pet check-in services are divided into two categories: "ticketed passengers" and "non ticketed passengers". The former need to make an appointment 1 day in advance, while the latter need to make an appointment 2 to 5 days in advance. After passing the review, the pet check-in can be processed on the day of check-in, and the check-in fee is calculated according to the transportation mileage. For ticketed passengers who travel with their pets, they can also enjoy a 30% discount. If calculated at a discounted price, the shipping fee ranges from 360 yuan to 860 yuan, "said the staff member. According to the staff, after the reservation is successful, the consignor needs to bring their valid identification documents, valid Animal Quarantine Certificate (the departure and destination must be consistent with the consignor's travel area), and pets to the China Railway Express business department at the high-speed railway station 2 to 6 hours before the departure of the train on the day of shipment. Regarding the "Animal Quarantine Certificate", the operator emphasized to the reporter that due to differences in business hours and processing requirements among quarantine institutions in different regions, the validity period of the "Animal Quarantine Certificate" is generally around 5 days. It is recommended to consult the local quarantine institution in advance and handle it within an appropriate time period. The pilot expansion reflects social progress. Professor Zhang Zhuting from the Management Cadre College of the Ministry of Transport has reviewed the pilot process of pet transportation services. He stated that with the continuous growth of pet accompanying demand for public high-speed rail travel, the railway department actively adapts to the diverse travel needs of passengers. Starting from April 8, 2025, pet transportation services will be piloted on 10 trains between the Beijing South, Jinan West, Nanjing South, Shanghai Hongqiao, and Hangzhou East stations of the Beijing Shanghai high-speed rail. On June 20 of the same year, the pilot scope of high-speed rail pet transportation service was further expanded to include 25 stations and 38 high-speed trains on 8 high-speed railways including Beijing Shanghai, Beijing Guangzhou, Beijing Harbin, and Shanghai Kunming; In October, the pilot scope has covered 40 stations and 54 trains, with routes including popular travel directions such as North China to East China and Southwest China. On January 28, 2026, the high-speed rail pet transport service welcomed another pilot expansion, with the pilot scope expanded to 110 stations and 170 trains, further adapting to the travel needs of pet carrying passengers. In the pilot program, the high-speed rail pet transportation service has implemented the principle of 'people and pets departing and arriving together', adopting the mode of 'isolated transportation, separation of people and pets, and dedicated care'. Special equipment is used for isolated transportation, and the entire process is independently stored with people and pets separated. Through monitoring and inspection, dedicated care, and other measures, the safety of pets during transportation is ensured. ”Zhang Zhuting added. In the view of Huang Haibo, Director of the Traffic Management and Transportation Law Professional Committee of the Beijing Lawyers Association, the continuous expansion of the pilot scope of high-speed rail pet transportation services has further solved the problem of difficult travel for pet owners during holidays, alleviated the anxiety of people and pets being forced to separate, and made long-distance travel with their owners a reality. This reflects the society's care for animals, respect for the emotional needs of pet owners, and progress in public service concepts. Huang Haibo said, "The expansion of the scope of public transportation for pet owners reflects respect for diverse social needs. This is not only a reflection of social progress, but also a vivid footnote to the upgrade of the public transportation system from ensuring functional travel to social emotional care. Allowing pet owners to take high-speed trains meets the growing demand for pet transportation among the public, reflects the principle of 'people-oriented', and the expansion of the pilot scope can effectively attract pet owners to choose high-speed rail travel. ”Professor Meng Qiang from the Law School of Beijing Institute of Technology commented. How can high-speed rail, as a public transportation tool, balance the needs of pet carrying passengers with the riding experience of other passengers, and find a reasonable balance between personalized needs and public order, while taking into account both niche needs and public rights? The interviewed experts believe that the key is to build a support system that involves multi-party collaboration, clear rules, detailed implementation, and shared responsibility. Specifically, relevant departmental regulations or normative documents can be established to balance the actual needs of passenger service guarantee and pet transportation. In practice, the railway department has taken safety measures from the beginning of the pilot to several expansions of the pilot scope, covering aspects such as human and pet safety and public environmental protection. ”Huang Haibo said that in the current practice of high-speed rail pet transportation, there have been a series of measures in terms of hardware guarantee. For example, pets must be transported in a dedicated intelligent transport box and stored in the transport box throughout the journey. The box is placed in the high-speed rail express cabinet, and dedicated personnel are arranged to take care of and conduct regular inspections during transportation to prevent passengers from coming into contact with pets from the source. This not only effectively prevents the impact of pet hair, odor, and vocalizations on the internal environment of the train, but also ensures the transportation safety of both pets and passengers. Zhang Zhuting suggests that as the pilot scope continues to expand, standards and regulations can be further developed based on the current practice of "isolated transportation, separation of humans and pets, and dedicated care" for high-speed rail pet transport, and ultimately elevated to departmental regulations and normative documents. Meng Qiang believes that at the departmental regulatory level, specialized management regulations for railway pet transportation can be formulated to clarify the division of responsibilities for transportation conditions, epidemic prevention standards, hygiene standards, and other aspects. He emphasized that strict verification of the quarantine certificate of the consignor should be carried out in accordance with the requirements of laws and regulations such as the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Law and the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law, and epidemic prevention requirements should be implemented to ensure the riding experience and safety of other passengers. Regarding public health protection and other issues, Huang Haibo believes that transportation rules that combine safety and hygiene should be formulated for the pet transportation field, and implemented and strictly enforced. He said, "To solve safety and hygiene issues, it is necessary to strictly comply with the entry threshold for pet transportation, strictly handle the transportation procedures according to requirements, and do a good job in hygiene, controlling every link of pet transportation