How to buy online train tickets in China?

Have you purchased train tickets in China before? I did. It was quite exhausted when we queued up in a long line. Especially during the period of Chinese Spring Festival; many of people are called scalpers make high profit with selling holding train tickets to those people who want to go back hometowns to enjoy the holiday with their families before. The situation is changed now. All the train tickets have been connected with people’s NRIC or other authorized certificates. It means people need to show their personal certificates when they purchase train tickets in China.So the scalpers have no any opportunities to hold on many tickets from now on.

China announced the online sell of train tickets since Dec, 2011. The official website is www.12306.cn. If we had Chinese NRIC or passport or other authorized certificates, we could purchase online train tickets. Before we do online purchase, we need to register firstly. Also, we need to have bank card which joins in China UnionPay system and can do online transition. Please note we need to print paper train ticket when we are in the railway station if we do not have Chinese NRIC. The reason is the machines in the entrance of railway station cannot distinguish the passport currently.

The process of purchasing online train tickets in China is set out as follows.

1. visit www.12306.cn and download srca12306 (this is to ensure online purchase safely)

2. click ‘purchasing ticket’ on left sidebar and go to the log in page

3. If you a new user, you need to register firstly. It is totally free. You need to fill the form in terms of your general information, such as your name, passport number, contact information etc. After registration, you will get a confirmed link in the inbox of your contact email. Click the confirmed email link and then the registration is done.

4. You can purchase your online ticket now. Of course, you need to have a bank card which has joined China UnionPay system with online transition function.

Hopefully the above picture will not be appeared in reality again after the online system is set up completely.