Stacks of plastic stools on a train in Yunnan province. [Photo by Cui Zhenyuan/For chinadaily.com.cn]

China Railway Kunming Group recently started offering plastic stools to train passengers without seats in Yunnan province, a welcome service according to netizens.On Wednesday, a woman surnamed Wang traveled by train from Kunming, the provincial capital, to Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture. With only a standing ticket, she found that a small stool made the roughly four-hour journey much more comfortable, according to Yunnan Radio and Television Station.

A passenger with a child sits on a small stool aboard a train in Yunnan province. [Photo by Li Zhenyuan/For chinadaily.com.cn]

China Railway Kunming Group said it has equipped over 150 high-traffic trains with a combined 5,000 stools, allowing passengers to temporarily sit in the train's connecting areas or other suitable locations.Li Jia, a chief conductor at the Kunming passenger transport section of China Railway Kunming Group, said that the stools are mainly available on power-centered electric multiple unit (EMU) trains, with each train featuring 32 stools prioritized for elderly, young, sick, disabled, and pregnant passengers without seats.

A train staff member provides a portable stool to a passenger. [Photo by Ma Haoyu/For chinadaily.com.cn]

The service was introduced as early as the Spring Festival travel rush, primarily to enhance the travel experience for passengers, with a small stool not only sparing passengers from the fatigue of standing on long journeys but also conveying the warmth of railway service, he added.On WeChat Channels, a netizen from Yunnan said that this service should be promoted and adopted nationwide, as it is low-cost and user-friendly, making people more likely to purchase train tickets without assigned seats.