China Tests 60-Day Advance Train Ticket Reservations

From July 20, 2026, China Railway is testing an advance reservation service that lets passengers request tickets 17 to 60 days before departure on select Beijing–Shanghai trains — a major change from the current 15-day sales window.

What Changed

• A new "ticket reservation" section in the 12306 app accepts requests 17–60 days before departure; the system tells you whether your request was fulfilled 16–20 days before the trip.
• The pilot covers more than 200 trains on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway and the conventional Beijing–Shanghai railway, two of China's busiest corridors.
• A transition period runs July 20 to August 29 (requests for departures from September 15); from August 30, the 17–60 day window becomes a regular feature.
• The regular 15-day sales window is not extended — you register a preferred journey in advance instead of buying a confirmed ticket, and fulfillment is not guaranteed.

Who It Affects

Anyone planning to travel by train between Beijing and Shanghai — the country's busiest rail corridor and a classic route for first-time visitors. Other routes keep the existing 15-day window for now; China State Railway Group says the scope will gradually expand. Each 12306 account can hold up to three pending reservation orders, and one order can cover up to 19 passengers across two consecutive travel dates.

What To Do

• Traveling Beijing–Shanghai this autumn? Register your journey in the 12306 app as soon as the reservation section appears — especially around the National Day holiday in early October, when seats sell out fast.
• Choose "exact" mode if you know your train, or "flexible" mode to rank broader preferences (departure window, journey time, seat class).
• Note the new cancellation rule: once a reservation is confirmed and paid, canceling 20–8 days before departure costs 5% of the fare.