China's railway authorities launched a 20-day express delivery operation on Sunday to handle the Singles' Day online shopping rush, with high-speed rail express capacity expected to increase 10 percent year-on-year, according to China Railway Express.
The company, a logistics provider under China State Railway Group, the national railway operator, uses the railway network and road pickup and delivery services to transport parcels and freight door to door. The operation runs through Nov 20.
About 1,900 high-speed passenger trains will carry parcels daily using express storage cabinets and spare space, while around 78 trains will provide designated carriages or areas for shipments. Another 43 early-morning high-speed trains operating without passengers will carry express goods.
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Three trains dedicated entirely to high-speed freight will serve routes linking Kunming and Chengdu, as well as Chengdu, Guangyuan and Guiyang.
Conventional rail services will also support deliveries, with more than 210 passenger trains carrying shipments in baggage cars daily and eight express freight trains operating at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour between major cities.
China Railway Express said its urgent delivery service covers 196 major cities. Customers can book through a WeChat mini-program, with door-to-door delivery available in as little as four hours.
The company also provides dedicated couriers for shipments requiring greater security or confidentiality, as well as temperature-controlled transport for medicines, diagnostic reagents and biological samples.
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Additional refrigeration equipment and insulated packaging will support deliveries of seasonal produce, including beef and mutton from northwestern China and seafood from the south.
Rail express services will also help bring pomelos from Ji'an, hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake, yellow croaker from the East China Sea and flowers from Yunnan province to markets nationwide, with road transport connecting rail services to customers at both ends.
