 "Can China’s ‘silver trains’ for the elderly bring the economy on track?")
China plans to launch soon “silver trains,” featuring amenities for senior citizens.
The trains, which are designed for elderly citizens’ comfort and safety, are part of the neighbouring country’s initiatives to create a “silver economy.”
By doing this, the Xi Jinping-led administration hopes the ageing population will spend more and in turn, revive the flagging economy.
Here’s all we know about it.
The silver trains
On Tuesday, the Culture and Tourism and Commerce ministries, along with China State Railway Group Co., released an action plan to launch trains, which are designed specifically for retiree tourists.
According to the state-run national tabloid Global Times, berths of the trains would be designed with amenities like handrails, oxygen bottles, and emergency call buttons to make them more accommodating for senior citizens.
Professional medical staff and carers will also be on board, with the ability to dispense emergency medications and offer limited treatments.
According to the plan, a nationwide network of “silver tourist trains” with “diversified tourist routes, a wide range of tourism themes, and comprehensive services” will be established by 2027.
As part of the latest effort, Chinese officials also asked performing groups and catering companies to submit bids for the new trains and urged popular tourist attractions to improve their amenities to make them more accessible to senior citizens.
International travel agencies and tourist train operators can apply to participate in the project under the plan.
National and local railway development funds have also been encouraged to support its implementation.
Through health insurance, travellers will be able to submit claims for medical costs incurred while on the network.
State broadcaster CCTV reports that there are currently 1,860 tourist trains in China.
Travellers in their middle and later years make up approximately 80 per cent of their customer base.
Silver-haired passengers are already being targeted by several rail firms.
On a recent five-day sightseeing train from Chengdu in the southwest, older passengers were treated to a Chinese folk song and a bian lian performance, a traditional operatic art. The train reportedly also had a chess room, reading space and karaoke lounge.
“Compared with other trains, this train is much more advanced in every aspect. It comes with stewards, medical staff, and dining cars. It has everything,” passenger Li Guangfu told CCTV.
Expanding the silver economy
China has one of the fastest-ageing populations in the world.
This is due to a baby boom in the 1960s and the long-standing one-child ban.
According to China’s National Health Commission, one in five of the 1.4 billion people living on the mainland were 60 years of age or older at the end of 2022.
This figure is expected to rise to almost 30 per cent in ten years.
Many of the elderly have substantial savings and pensions from their retirement.
So, China is betting on the elderly population to boost their spending at a time when the ongoing real estate crisis and escalating trade tensions are impeding economic growth .
It launched a major silver economy initiative in 2023, with an estimated ten-year value of 30 trillion yuan ($4.1 trillion).
The initiative prioritises services customised for elderly citizens, such as entertainment, nursing homes, and meal delivery.
They are promoting “services consumption,” which is something they struggle to do with younger demographics as they are dealing with job uncertainty and a persistent real estate slump.
“The elderly, especially the retired, have both the time and financial resources” to travel, Global Times quoted Zhang Lingyun, professor and Tourism Tribune Executive Editor-in-chief.
In fact, travel agencies, too, have shifted their focus on seniors.
Viking Cruises, a Swiss company, teamed up with Shanghai’s University for the Elderly last year to include history and cultural classes in its trip packages to Asia and Europe.
Also read: Quicksplained | China’s shrinking kindergartens: What’s behind the decline?
Declining population
The population of China has been declining for the past three years.
In 2024, the working-age population—those between the ages of 16 and 59—decreased by about seven million, while the percentage of Chinese citizens over 60 now stands at 22 per cent.
The government has implemented several initiatives to solve these problems, such as mass weddings, blind dating events, and financial incentives to entice young people to get married and start a family.
For young couples who want to get married, some municipal governments have even offered financial incentives.
With inputs from agencies
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