Railway 12306 App Download

Railway 12306 is the official booking app of China State Railway Group, and it does far more than sell tickets. Knowing these modules saves a lot of queuing at the station.

• Booking and waitlist — check availability, place orders, and join the waitlist when a train is sold out.
• Changes and refunds — rebook once online before departure; refund fees increase the closer you get to departure.
• E-tickets — for almost all services there is no paper ticket to collect; you enter using the ID document you booked with.
• Trip management — upcoming orders, past journeys and reimbursement receipts in one place.
• Timetables and live status — stopping patterns and real-time running information.
• Station information — departure boards and, at larger stations, indoor navigation.
• Onboard meals and connections — meal ordering on selected high-speed services and connecting-journey search.
• Assisted travel — book station assistance for elderly, disabled or pregnant passengers.

Cannot log in, or identity "pending verification"

A new account has to pass real-name verification. Holders of a Chinese resident ID card are usually verified automatically online. Passports and Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan permits often show as pending and may need to be verified at any railway station ticket counter, or by uploading documents as prompted in the app. Tickets cannot be bought until verification clears.

The order was cancelled because payment timed out

Orders hold a seat for a limited window, usually around ten minutes and sometimes less during holidays. If it expires the order is cancelled and the seat released. Link a payment method in advance so checkout is not the slow step.

The gate will not read my document

E-ticket entry uses the document you booked with, so carry that exact document. If the automatic gate cannot read it, use the staffed lane instead — passengers travelling on a passport normally need the staffed lane in any case.

A passenger will not save

Each account can hold a limited number of saved passengers, and newly added travellers may need verification. Names must match the document exactly; if a name contains rare characters it is easier to add it at a ticket counter.