Hong Kong YouTuber travels on China's 'poor train', says she's never seen anything like it anywhere

New Delhi: You board a train and see more goats, pigs, ducks, and chickens than people. Does this sound like a village in India? Believe me, this scene is from China, the world's second-largest economy. London-based solo traveler and YouTuber Vincy Lau was astonished when she saw all this inside Chinese trains. 

Hong Kong-based content creator  Vincy Lau saw a passenger carrying a goat in a basket on his back and followed him. She shared in her Instagram reel that she was traveling on a slow-moving Chinese train through rural Sichuan, China, when a man boarded the train. He was carrying a goat on his back and a chicken in his hand. Vincy said, "I had never seen such a sight in any of my train journeys. The man's son told me that these items were for a ritual called Yi Bimo, which was meant to ward off evil spirits because his sister had fallen ill... Honestly, it was the most memorable and unique 5-hour train journey of my life."

Why are China's public welfare trains special?

While it may sound strange to travel by train with pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, or even a large quantity of vegetables, it's not uncommon in many parts of China. China operates special trains for its rural farmers. These trains are called Public Welfare Trains, which simply translates to "people's welfare trains." These public welfare trains connect small villages to major cities. Interestingly, the Chinese government subsidizes the tickets for these trains. These very affordable tickets make it possible to travel on these trains at a very low cost.

These trains play a very important role in providing direct access to big markets and urban centers to farmers, cattle herders and many people living in villages.

Started decades ago, tickets still cost less than Rs 30

These public welfare trains were introduced decades ago, but many routes remain operational today. Ticket prices for many trains remain as low as they were in the beginning—some are as low as just 2 yuan (approximately 28 rupees in Indian currency). These trains cover a variety of terrains and operate on different timetables.

According to a report by Chinese state media CGTN, one such train is numbered 8821. This train runs from Xinzhou to Hebian in China's Shaanxi Province, covering a distance of 40 kilometers in less than an hour. Another train, numbered 5633, runs from Puxiang to Panzhihua South Station in Sichuan Province, covering a distance of over 350 kilometers in approximately nine hours.

Why were these trains started?

These welfare trains serve a single purpose: to improve connectivity across China and ensure that no matter where you live or how difficult the terrain, you're always well connected to the nearest market or major city. Supply reaches where there's demand. 

This concerns the interests of rural farmers. On the other hand, China boasts the world's largest and most extensive high-speed rail network. CR 450 trains, with a top test speed of 450 kmph, are currently undergoing trials. This means that while China is making tremendous progress in its railway network, its public welfare trains are an example of China's unwavering commitment to development.