Whether you are new to the city or not, join us as we explore helpful tips and information on buying train tickets and traveling by train in China.

There are several major railway stations in Shanghai, including Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai South Railway Station (or Shanghainan Railway Station), Shanghai West Railway Station (or Shanghaixi Railway Station) and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway.

All you need to buy a ticket at the service window is your passport. If you want to buy tickets on your mobile phone, you can download the Railway 12306 (铁路12306)  app. 

Register and log in, and set the language to English. Then enter your departure location, destination, and departure date to search for tickets.

 

You can reserve a ticket for the train you want to take, fill in the personal information of all passengers, choose seats, and finally submit your order and pay.

In the past, traveling by train often involved the hassle of waiting in long queues to collect paper tickets before boarding. However, the introduction of e-ticket services has streamlined the process, saving passengers significant time.

With e-tickets, there's no longer a need for paper tickets when checking in at the station or boarding the train. Now, all you need to do is swipe your passport or foreign permanent residence card at the automatic check-in machines or present it at the manual ticket inspection gate to board your train.

If you have completed real-name authentication through the 12306 app, you may be able to access platforms and board trains without presenting your passport in person.

Here are some common questions about buying train tickets:

1. What types of tickets are available?

Train tickets are now issued primarily as e-tickets. Paper reimbursement vouchers are generally no longer issued for rail trips taken after Oct 1, 2025, although passengers may still print a trip information slip if needed. 

2. Where can I buy train tickets?

Train tickets can be purchased through channels operated by railway authorities or their authorized sales agencies. Available options include:

• Ticket counters at railway stations and authorized ticket agencies.

• Automatic ticket machines at railway stations and designated locations.

• 12306.cn or the 12306 mobile app.

• The ticket-booking hotline. In areas where the telephone booking service is available, passengers may reserve tickets by calling hotline 12306 and then complete payment at the designated place within the specified time.

Note: www.12306.cn is the official website of the China Railway Customer Service Center. The railway department will not handle ticketing issues made through other websites.

3. Can I buy tickets for other travelers?

At the station, you can buy tickets for other travelers at the ticket counter by presenting either the original or a copy of the passenger's valid ID document.

On 12306.cn, registered users whose ID information is marked "verified" or "ready to be verified" may purchase tickets for themselves or others. 

4. Can I buy more than one ticket for the same train on the same travel date?

A valid ID document may be used to purchase only one ticket for the same train on the same travel date. However, for children without valid ID documents, the accompanying adult's identity information may be used to purchase child tickets within the same booking. 

5. How do I buy child tickets? 

Under current rules, child fares are based on age rather than height. Children aged 6 to under 14 traveling with an adult are required to purchase discounted child tickets, while those aged 14 or older must purchase full-fare tickets. 

Each adult passenger holding a paid ticket may bring one child under the age of 6 free of charge, provided the child does not occupy a separate seat. Additional children must travel on discounted child tickets. Children traveling free of charge must be declared when the ticket is purchased.

6. Can I change my train ticket?

Passengers may change a ticket once. Changes may include the travel date, train number, seat class, or arrival station.

No fee is charged for changes made more than 48 hours before departure. Changes made 24 to 48 hours before departure are also free if the new train departs before midnight on the original departure date. Changes made after the departure of the original train are free, provided the new train also departs on the same calendar day.

If the ticket is changed to a train departing later than the original travel date, a change fee applies. The fee is 5 percent of the lower fare for changes made 24 to 48 hours before departure, 15 percent for changes made less than 24 hours before departure, and 40 percent for changes made after the original train departs if the new train departs the following day or later.

To change the arrival station, passengers must submit the request at least 48 hours before departure. Once the arrival station has been changed, no further changes may be made to the travel date, train number, seat class, or arrival station.

 

The information provided here is for reference only. For official policies, please refer to the official website of China Railway.

Updated June 11, 2026

 

Source: 12306.cn