Dining car activities assuage children's restlessness while cooped up on long train journeys. Luo Wangshu reports.

Many parents have long toiled over how to keep their children entertained during extended train journeys, fearing the wrath of both their restless young progeny and of disturbed passengers.

A trial to address the issue was introduced during this year's Spring Festival rush, as millions of travelers embarked on journeys during the holiday.

A temporary children's corner was introduced to provide entertainment for young passengers and offer a short break for their caretakers, with the aim to make journeys more enjoyable and relaxed, enhancing the travel experience for all passengers.

The service was initiated on Jan 26, coinciding with the start of the Spring Festival travel rush, on a sleeper train with a journey of about 2,500 kilometers and spanning nearly 23 hours between Beijing and Nanning, the capital of southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

During each service, the children's corner opens for two hours in the dining car. Train attendants inform passengers with children of the time and location, inviting them to join the activity.

"We set up reading, coloring, paper-cutting and block building areas at four tables. Children can engage in various activities according to their interests," train conductor Dong Liqiong said, adding that two attendants and staff from the dining car can assist the young passengers at the corner.

"Since the winter vacation began (in mid-January), there are many young travelers on our train. They are either traveling to pay a visit to the capital, or heading south to avoid the harsh winter in Beijing. The journey is about 23 hours and it is quite long for adults, let alone children. Many children just stare at phones or tablets on the train. We want to make their trips more fun," she said.

The train, with 18 carriages and one dining car, can take up to 984 passengers.

The Z5 service departs from Beijing at around 4 pm and arrives at Nanning at about 3 pm the next day. The corner opens at about 8:30 to 9:30 pm and 10 to 11:00 am the next day. On the Z6 service traveling between Nanning and Beijing, the corner opens at 2:30 to 3:30 pm and 8:30 to 9:30 pm.

"We select the time for when it is often less busy so that attendants can offer help. It is also when most people finish their meals and there is usually some vacancy in the dining car," Dong said.

On the Z5 service that departed from the capital on Jan 30, there were more than 200 children onboard, with many of them traveling with their grandparents.

"The train is a sleeper train, so it is particularly accommodating for both elderly and young travelers, making it very popular among families," Dong said.

On the train, almost every cabin had a child, and young travelers were often playing, running and talking in the corridor.

Aboard the G1654 high-speed train from Xiamen to Shanghai, a group of young passengers, guided by a train attendant, play games on Jan 29. [Yan Zhihong/Xinhua]

A Pleasant Experience for All

At about 8 pm on Jan 30, attendants on the Z5 collected dirty plates, cleaned tables and floors, and brought toys and books to set up the temporary kids' corner in the dining car.

At the same time, children eagerly awaited the opening of the zone, with some rushing to check the toys.

As soon as train conductor Dong announced the opening of the children's corner, kids dashed to the tables. Children and parents crowded the dining car, chatting, laughing, taking photos and sharing their travel experiences.

Each table was filled with excited children engaging in various activities such as paper-cutting, coloring books, building blocks, reading books and playing with dolls.

A mother surnamed Dai said her daughter greatly enjoyed the children's corner.

The mother was traveling with her 4-year-old and her mother-in-law from Beijing to Nanning to spend the Spring Festival there.

They were informed by an attendant about the activity when they boarded the train.

"She was so excited and interested in the activity that she kept asking me to take her to check if it had started," the mother said.

"It is the first train trip for my daughter, and it (the children's corner) is beyond my expectation, a true surprise," she said.

At the corner, the girl was carefully coloring a book while Dai was taking photos to capture her first train ride.

Children play with toys at the children's corner on the Z5 train heading to Nanning on Jan 30. [Luo Wangshu/China Daily]

Eight-year-old girl Huang Ziqin liked the soft-toy claw machine the best at the children's corner.

"I grabbed six dolls in four attempts," said the girl, who was traveling from Beijing to Nanning to visit her grandmother for the holiday.

"My grandson and granddaughter cannot sit still on the train, they were climbing up and down in the cabin, which is quite dangerous. We have to pay much attention to watching them. Now at the children's corner, they are so quiet and calm," said a passenger surnamed Geng, who was traveling with her 5-year-old grandson and 7-year-old granddaughter.

Deng Qingyun, who manages the dining car, assisted in preparing the corner.

"The children are very happy. When the time is up and we are about to close the center, they don't want to leave," she said.

"Although the area is pretty messy after the activity, I am more than happy to offer the service," she said.

Assistant train conductor Luo Huadong, helped the children with the building blocks and in catching dolls on the Jan 30 service.

"It is the most popular area today. When the doll catching machine turns on, the music attracts children's attention. Children are even lining up to catch dolls," the 27-year-old said, adding that he enjoyed spending time with the children.

An attendant reads stories to a girl at the children's corner on the Z5 train on Jan 30. [Luo Wangshu/China Daily]

Compassionate Measure

The travel rush, which began on Jan 26 and will end on March 5, is expected to see 9 billion trips, with a total of 480 million railway trips expected to be made.

The expanding railway network and reasonable ticket prices have led to an increasing number of people choosing to travel by rail in China.

By the end of last year, China's railway network extended to 159,000 km, with 45,000 km of high-speed railway.

The handling of young travelers onboard trains has been widely discussed in China in recent years.

Many people have complained about children's disruptive behaviors onboard, including kicking the seats and making noise, while others have argued to be more tolerant of young travelers.

Conflicts, even fights, have been reported between parents and passengers without children.

"We hope the measure can also serve as a testament to the evolving landscape of railway services, catering to the diverse needs of passengers, including families with young children and passengers without children," said Ran Hui, an official from the passenger service department of China Railway Nanning Group, which introduced the children's corner.

While the initiative has been well-received, challenges remain, particularly concerning space limitations and accommodating all interested young passengers.

"At first, we broadcast the children's corner to all passengers. Children and parents flocked to the dining car, but due to the limited space, some of them could not participate in the games and the children were pretty upset. Now we've canceled the broadcast and informed passengers with children randomly. I hope we can find a balance to invite more young travelers to our activity," train conductor Dong said.

(Source: China Daily)