High-Speed Trains in China (2026 Guide)

The English 12306 site and app currently accept foreign-passport registration. Enter the name exactly as shown on the passport; the form asks for nationality, passport number and expiry, date of birth, gender, username, password and email.

Identity verification may finish automatically, require an upload of the passport information page for manual review, or need help at a staffed station counter. Complete it before sales open for the journey you want.

1. Create the traveler account with passport-matching spelling.
2. Add the passport details and check every digit before submitting.
3. Follow any upload or manual-review prompt in the live account.
4. If verification remains incomplete, take the passport to a staffed station counter before travel day.

12306 is the official China Railway sales channel and handles support for orders placed there. An authorized or third-party OTA may offer another language, card flow or customer service, but it adds its own terms and support route.

Record where you paid and which company issued the order. China Railway does not resolve every third-party order problem; contact the OTA first for an OTA order and use 12306 for an official order.

• Compare the final total, cancellation terms and support hours before paying.
• Make sure every passenger name and document number matches the travel document.
• Keep the order number and payment receipt in the same place.

Second class is the usual value baseline on high-speed services. First class and business class trade a higher live fare for more space or service; inventory is never assured.

Conventional and night services may list seats or a berth instead. Confirm the exact train, journey duration and live seat page rather than assuming the same layout on every service.

• Check both the full departure and arrival station names.
• Compare door-to-door time, not only the timetable duration.
• Choose a class that works for luggage, mobility and overnight rest.
• Do not treat a wait-list or search result as a confirmed seat.

Carry the original passport used for purchase. A photo or copy may help explain an issue, but it does not replace the original travel document for boarding.

Large cities often have several stations. Allow time for security and for a manual-document gate if an automatic gate cannot read the passport.

1. Recheck the full station name, date and train number before leaving the hotel.
2. At the station, pass security and find the waiting hall shown on the live display.
3. Watch for a gate or waiting-room change and join the correct boarding line.
4. Present the original passport at an automatic or staffed manual gate.
5. Follow the platform and carriage number; ask staff before boarding if they conflict.

Before leaving reliable Wi-Fi, save one compact journey card with the full departure and arrival station names, travel date, train number, departure time, carriage and seat. Keep it with the order number and passport name rather than relying on a route-search result.

Use it to explain the journey if data fails, but follow the live station display when a waiting hall, gate or platform changes. China Railway advises passengers to leave sufficient time for security and boarding; the right buffer depends on the station and current notice, so avoid treating one fixed arrival time as a nationwide rule.

The current 12306 rules allow one ticket change, subject to timing, availability and order state. A refund is normally requested before departure, and an eligible online refund returns to the original payment method.

The available channel and fee may depend on timing, ticket and payment state, whether a printed reimbursement receipt was collected, and special Spring Festival rules. Never rely on a fixed outcome quoted from an old trip.

Open the live order first. If the control is unavailable, use the support route of the channel that sold the ticket or take the passport and order details to a staffed counter.

• Do not create a duplicate order until the first order status is clear.
• Check the replacement train before confirming a change.
• Keep proof of a pending refund until it reaches the original payment method.
• Recheck the live 12306 FAQ for the journey date and holiday period.

The current age-based rule says a child over 6 and under 14 needs a child-discount ticket; a traveler aged 14 or over needs a full-fare ticket.

One child under 6 may accompany each fare-paying adult on a declared free-child ticket without a reserved seat. Buy a ticket if that child needs a separate seat, and follow the live passenger-setup instructions.

Add the child with the correct document and age before checkout. Carry the original documents linked to every passenger record and ask 12306 or station staff if the family setup cannot be completed online.

• Declare the free child in the order rather than arriving with an unlisted passenger.
• Confirm who will share a seat with a free child before choosing the adult seats.
• Recheck the official FAQ if the child turns 6 or 14 near the journey date.