On Friday evenings this winter, a quiet transformation unfolds at several railway stations across Beijing. Amid the usual tide of commuters heading home, another group stands apart — identifiable by long, padded equipment bags slung over shoulders or wheeled briskly across polished floors. These travelers are not heading home to rest.
They are skiers heading for Chongli district in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province — a popular destination since it cohosted the 2022 Winter Olympic Games with Beijing. Now, their journey has become much easier thanks to a new policy.
"I finish work, grab my gear, and head straight to the station. It's much simpler now," says Yin Peng, 36, a Beijing office worker whose eyes light up at the thought of his regular weekend escape.
He booked a high-speed train ticket departing at 7:06 pm from Qinghe Railway Station in Beijing's Haidian district, arriving at Chongli Railway Station in just over an hour.
"When you book the ticket through the railway's 12306 app, you can see the train number marked with the Chinese character xue, or snow. It means you can bring your ski gear on board with you," Yin explains.
With his snowboard bag, he represents a new wave of winter sports enthusiasts empowered by a new railway service — the "Ski Equipment Convenience Service".
Launched on Dec 7 last year and expanded on Jan 15 to include additional train types, this service operates on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail line. For 68 yuan ($9.84) per set, passengers can store skis or snowboards in specially adapted areas inside the train, according to China Railway Beijing Group.
The service currently covers eight stations — Beijing North, Qinghe, and Badaling Great Wall stations in the capital, as well as Donghuayuan North, Huailai, Xiahuayuan North, Taizicheng, and Chongli stations in Zhangjiakou.
Passengers can book the service through the 12306 app. Ski gear with a combined length, width, and height of up to 200 centimeters is accepted, and a digital invoice can be issued online within 180 days of travel.