China’s industry standard for inland waterway service areas has been officially released.

Recently, the recommended industry standard for transportation, "Service Specification for Inland Water Service Areas" (JT/T 1583—2026), jointly developed by the Huzhou Port and Shipping Management Center and the Water Transport Science Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, was officially released and implemented by the Ministry of Transport. This is the second industry standard in which Huzhou's port and shipping sector has participated, following the "Guidelines for Ecological Bank Protection Construction in Water Network Areas," marking Huzhou's continued leadership in the standardization of inland waterway service construction nationwide, further solidifying the "Huzhou Experience" as a model and leading position across the country.

During the standard formulation process, Huzhou Port and Shipping leveraged the city's early advantages in the transformation and development of inland water transport, closely collaborating with five authoritative institutions, including the Water Transport Science Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport and China Railway Yangtze River Transportation Design Group Co., Ltd. The compilation team conducted extensive research on the construction and operation status of typical inland water service areas in China, systematically summarizing and refining Huzhou's mature practices in comprehensive service, smart management, and green emission reduction in service areas, integrating them into the national standard framework, laying a practical foundation for the standard's universality and advancement.

The standard closely aligns with the actual needs of inland waterway crew and the functional positioning of water service areas, constructing a multi-dimensional service specification system covering ship services, crew services, administrative convenience, and emergency support. The standard not only sets clear requirements for basic services such as ship berthing, water supply, and pollutant reception but also proactively includes diversified, high-quality services such as shore power supply, energy replenishment, express delivery, basic medical care, cultural promotion, and self-service administrative processing in the recommended clauses. Additionally, the standard introduces satisfaction surveys and service evaluation improvement mechanisms, guiding water service areas to transform and upgrade from "basic supply stations" to "waterfront cozy stations" integrating living, travel, and administrative functions.

As an important promoter of high-quality inland water transport development, Huzhou Port and Shipping has actively constructed the "8+N" inland waterway standard system in recent years, continuously transforming local explorations into industry standards. From pioneering ecological bank protection construction to deeply participating in water service area service specifications, Huzhou City has gradually achieved full coverage from hardware facility construction standards to soft service standards in shipping. The implementation of this industry standard effectively fills the gap in the special standards for service management in inland water service areas in China, providing a replicable and promotable "Huzhou Solution" for inland waterways nationwide, strongly boosting the integration and service capability enhancement of inland waterway transport in the Yangtze River Delta and across the country.

All-media reporter Chen Junjie, correspondent Yang Qingqing