'Silver service' rail boost for tourism sector

While it's good that the Ministry of Commerce together with eight other departments released an action plan to introduce "silver-hair" trains to meet the tourism needs of senior residents, there are many things that need to be done in the implementation of the action plan.

The action plan calls for the "silver-hair" tourism trains to be managed by professional teams that specialize in providing services to the elderly and systematically enhancing the service support capabilities. It will also be necessary to research and formulate national standards for the modification of the trains to make them tailored to the needs of the elderly.

Besides, coordination among different organizations will be essential. That is why the action plan has been forwarded to over 30 departments nationwide for better and more convenient coordination among them all.

It's on the basis of improving and updating the train services that the planned trains can effectively serve the elderly. It's also on the basis of providing ample care and service to senior citizens that the action plan will boost tourism as expected.

According to officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the aim is to provide "silver-hair" tourism rail services nationwide by 2027. A basic "silver-hair" tourism train service system of standards will be established. The number of "silver-hair "tourism trains and the volume of passenger transport will achieve substantial growth compared to 2024.The "silver-hair" tourism trains are open to passengers of all ages, and the additional trains will not operate during peak periods such as the Spring Festival travel rush.

This lays a solid foundation for building consensus across society and marks a good start for the action plan.