Transient radiative transfer (TRT) in one-dimensional (1-D) homogeneous and inhomogeneous media with ultra-short pulse laser irradiated is investigated by means of the finite volume method (FVM) in the present research. Comparing with the steady radiative transfer (SRT), the extra time-resolved information can be obtained in TRT. Meanwhile, the propagation speed of short-pulse laser and the geometric thickness of the media should be considered in the simulation of TRT problem besides the optical thickness. A new nondimensional number ζ= ct p / L is presented. For the homogeneous media, the temporal signals would overlap one another with different combinations of the pulse duration and the thickness of the media with the same ζ. Furthermore, in two-layer media, the influence of the scattering albedo, optical thickness and the geometric thickness of the participating media on ‘dual-peak’ are studied thoroughly. The improved expression of the ‘local minimum’ in the ‘dual-peak’ and the interface location of the multi-layer media are provided.