International representatives and guests attending the 12th World Congress on High-Speed Rail take the Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway from Beijing North Station to visit Taizicheng, the venue of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Hebei Province on July 11, 2025, experiencing the advanced technology and speed of Chinese high-speed rail. Photo: VCG

Starting Tuesday, China State Railway Group will launch a pilot "bicycle carry-on" service on G-series trains running between Beijing North Station and Chongli, North China's Hebei Province on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway, the company's passenger transport center announced on Monday.

The service aims to better meet diverse travel needs, particularly for cycling enthusiasts. Passengers can reserve and pay for the service via the 12306 mobile app, the state railway operator said in a press release sent to the Global Times on Monday.

The pilot price is 88 yuan ($12.92) per bicycle. Reservations can be made until departure, and cancellations with a full refund are allowed up to one hour before departure.

Selected second-class carriages have been modified with designated bicycle storage areas. Dedicated security check channels have also been set up at stations along the route. Travelers are required to remove the front wheel and properly pack their bicycles. Railway staff provide tools and reusable bike bags at no extra cost.

A company representative noted that each train has limited bicycle capacity, so early booking is advised. During the journey, railway staff will monitor safety. After the pilot phase, the railway will consider expanding the service based on passengers' feedback.

The service builds on experience from the ski gear storage service previously introduced on trains serving the route to Chongli, which is a ski resort some 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing and co-host venue of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

As summer approaches, the Chongli area is also becoming a popular destination for mountain biking, according to media reports.

The move by the state railway operator closely followed that of the Beijing subway, which launched a pilot service on May 10 that allows passengers to bring bicycles onto subway trains, as the number of cycling enthusiasts and demand for cross-district rides grow in the capital.

With Beijing's metro and the national railway successively launching bike carry‑on services, transport authorities are pushing public transport services toward more precise, user‑oriented development. The new service expands cyclists' green mobility range from within the city to hundreds of kilometers, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday. He noted that public services have shifted from prohibition to innovative solutions that address the specialized demands of niche groups, while ensuring such services do not disrupt other passengers' travel experience.

"Biking and outdoor activities are new forms of sports gaining popularity nowadays. The new service is expected to boost related sports and cultural tourism scenarios. It could serve as a lever to turbocharge the development of nearby tourist sites, as well as the local catering and accommodation sectors," Wang said.