MKsports featuring themed travel routes and specialized products. Photo: CCTV" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-02-11/80678354-95d9-4baf-96bd-7fafbb95a1a1.png" />

China will introduce tourist trains tailored for the elderly, featuring themed travel routes and specialized products. Photo: CCTV

China aims to introduce tourist trains tailored for the elderly, known as "silver trains," featuring a series of customized services to enhance the travel experience for older people, according to a joint statement from Chinese authorities on Tuesday.

The action plan, published by nine ministries and departments including China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Culture and Tourism, proposes to invite the public to submit demands for the operation of "silver trains," according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The plan involves developing themed travel routes and products for tourist trains. It encourages local areas to improve cooperation mechanisms between tourist trains and scenic spots, providing a variety of services including booking services, green channels and reception services, Xinhua reported.

Local well-known catering, accommodation, residential life service enterprises and time-honored brands are encouraged to strengthen cooperation with tourist trains, and are supported to bring their delicacies, services and products onto the trains, according to a press conference held by Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.

Utilizing exhibitions, including the China International Import Expo, for international cooperation and publicity promotion is also encouraged to expand the international influence of tourist trains, according to the conference.

The trains will also optimize the size and layout of berths, seats and toilets in passenger compartments, and add handrails, oxygen bottles, first-aid kits, emergency call buttons and other necessary equipment and facilities, as highlighted at the conference.

The plan aims to integrate the modification of these trains to be more age-friendly, eco-friendly, and comfortable into large-scale equipment updates, as well as into the scope of old-for-new consumer goods support. The policy also encourages diversified capital participation in investment.

The overall goal of this action plan is that by 2027, a nationwide tourist train system for seniors will be established, featuring diverse routes, rich themes and comprehensive services. A standardized service system for senior tourist trains will be largely in place, with a number of themed tourist train brands developed. The number of train operations and passenger volume will see a significant increase compared to 2024, as reported by CCTV. 

The tourist trains with customized services are not just a means of transportation for the elderly but also represent a new way of traveling, Zhang Lingyun, professor and the executive editor-in-chief of Tourism Tribune, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

He added that in the context of the sliver economy, the elderly, especially the retired, have both the time and financial resources, and that more participation in such social activities would be beneficial to their physical well-being.

Train services specifically designed for the elderly will also drive the development of a range of related ancillary and supporting industries, Zhang said. At the same time, tourist trains can promote the development of travel destinations, especially those small villages that are favored by the elderly, he added.

The relevant staff from the Ministry of Commerce introduced during the conference that "silver train" are available for travelers of all ages. The introduction of the trains is an initiative to further improve age-appropriate facilities.

The latest data reveals that China's average life expectancy has reached 78.6 years. Projections suggest that by about 2035, the number of people aged 60 or above in China will exceed 400 million, accounting for more than 30 percent of the total population, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency on January 9.

Since 2024, China has released a guideline to strengthen the "silver" economy as part of an effort to address the challenges of an aging population. The guideline says the silver economy incorporates economic activities that cater to senior citizens with tailored products and services, and prepares for the challenges of an aging population.