China Railway 12306

Why You Need It

China Railway 12306 is the official, authoritative source for the country's 45,000+ km high-speed rail network. It books tickets at face value with no agency markup, supports passport-based passenger registration, and lets you board most stations with just your passport — no paper ticket needed. Third-party booking sites work too, but they add a service fee and have tighter inventory.

Installation

1. 1

   Download China Railway 12306

   Search 'China Railway' or '12306' in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Look for the official version published by China Railway.

2. 2

   Switch to English

   Tap the 'EN' button in the top-right of the home screen to flip the interface to English.

3. 3

   Register your account

   Sign up with an email and an international phone number. Set a username and password — no Chinese phone number required.

4. 4

   Add yourself as a passenger

   Go to Member → Passenger Info → Add. Choose 'Foreigner', enter your full name as it appears in your passport, your passport number, nationality, and date of birth.

5. 5

   Submit passport for verification

   Upload a clear photo of your passport's identity page. Approval is manual and typically completes within a few hours to two working days.

Booking Tickets

1. 1

   Search a route

   Enter departure and arrival stations and your travel date. The app shows all trains with class options, duration, and price.

2. 2

   Pick train and seat class

   Second Class is the standard option, First Class adds more legroom, and Business Class on G-trains is near-luxury. Window seats are great for scenery.

3. 3

   Add the passenger

   Select your verified passenger profile. You can add travel companions the same way.

4. 4

   Pay for the ticket

   Use Alipay or WeChat Pay — both linked to your international card work reliably. Direct international card support is limited.

5. 5

   Check the e-ticket

   After payment, your booking appears under My Orders. No paper ticket needed for most stations — your passport is your ticket.

Usage Tips

• Book early: Tickets open 15 days before departure. Popular routes (Beijing↔Shanghai, holidays) sell out fast.
• Passport at the station: Walk up to any e-ticket gate, place your passport on the reader, look at the camera, and the gate opens. No queue at counters.
• Train classes: G = high-speed, D = fast, K/T/Z = slower long-distance. G is what most tourists want.
• Refunds and changes: Possible in-app up to 25 minutes before departure. Refund fees scale with how close to departure you cancel.
• Add a buffer: Arrive at the station 30–45 minutes early — security and station size eat time.

Troubleshooting

Verification taking too long? Submit at least 2 days before your first booking. If it stalls beyond 2 working days, contact the in-app support or use a third-party site like Trip.com as a fallback.

International card payment failing? Don't fight it — pay through Alipay or WeChat Pay, which route through your foreign card seamlessly.

Gate won't read my passport? Some smaller stations require a paper ticket pickup. Look for a manned counter and present your booking number plus passport.