China's railway operator will launch a pilot service allowing cyclists to bring bicycles aboard high-speed trains on a section of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou line starting May 19, China State Railway Group said.

The service will cover all stops between Beijing North and Chongli. Passengers can book and pay through the official 12306 platform. After clearing security and packing their bicycles according to specified requirements, they may travel on the same train as their bikes. Further service details are available on the 12306 platform, according to an article posted to the group's WeChat account.

The pilot is timed to coincide with China's annual Tourism Day, which falls on May 19.

The service is intended to connect high-speed rail travel with cycling tourism along the route, particularly at Chongli, a district in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, that has developed as an outdoor sports destination in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The area has more than a dozen dedicated cycling routes, an extreme sports park with four professional venues, and summer mountain bike trails converted from skiing slopes, local authorities said.

"This service will press the accelerator on cycling tourism in Chongli," Han Xiaoyu, deputy head of the Chongli district bureau of culture, radio, TV, tourism and sports, told Hebei Daily. "It will attract more visitors by offering a convenient 'high-speed rail plus cycling' experience."

Chongli plans to host 22 cycling events this year, Han said, with exhibitions of sports gear, local agricultural products, and specialty foods.