The Chinese railway authorities expanded the pilot service for pet transport on high-speed trains starting Friday, covering 38 high-speed train services across 25 stations along eight high-speed rail lines, according to a notice posted on China Railway's WeChat account on Friday.

The high-speed routes include Beijing to Shanghai, Beijing to Guangzhou, Beijing to Harbin, and Shanghai to Kunming. Passengers may transport one domesticated and healthy pet, either a cat or a dog, weighing no more than 15 kilograms and with a shoulder height under 40 centimeters, on the same train, according to the release.

Since April 8, the service has been piloted on 10 train services between five major stations along the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway. Operations have been smooth and well-organized, receiving a positive market response, according to China Railway.

The pilot service was later expanded to more stations including Beijing West, Zhengzhou East, Wuhan, Changsha South and Guangzhou South, according to China Railway.

Passengers can book pet transport services via the 12306 system.

(Cover image: China Railway)