New rules come into play for train tickets

English>>China Society

Editor's Pick

New rules come into play for train tickets

By Ma Yue (Shanghai Daily) 08:00, August 27, 2013

Email|Print|Comments

twitter

facebook

Sina Microblog

Railway passengers can now cancel or return tickets at any railway stations across the country from this Sunday.

Until now, passengers could only make the changes at the departure stations or at stations where they bought the tickets.

According to new regulations, those who return tickets more than 48 hours before departure will be charged 5 percent of the fare, according to the railways’ operator, China Railway Corp.

Those cancelling tickets between 24 to 48 hours will lose 10 percent, while 20 percent will be charged for those returning the tickets less than 24 hours before departure, the company said.

Previously, the railways deducted only 5 percent across the board for all cancellations.

Chinese passengers tend to book more tickets than needed, such as asking friends to book online during peak travel seasons when tickets are in short supply, or even tickets for different classes on the same train, denying many others.

It invariably leads to high cancellation numbers, especially 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

According to railway authorities, the new regulations are aimed at cutting down the high cancellation rates and ease the demand during the peak seasons.

Cancelling tickets have also become much easier since the start of online ticket sales in late 201l, shortly before the Spring Festival travel peak, a time when millions of Chinese take the train during the biggest holiday of the nation.

From January to mid-July this year, there was a 77.6 percent rise in ticket cancellation compared to the same period last year.

The Spring Festival peak saw that triple the average daily level, and a 110 percent rise compared to the same time last year. The pre-summer vacation period also saw the rate of cancellation double over a year ago.

About 74 percent canceled their tickets less than 24 hours before departure, while only 15 percent cancelled their tickets more than 48 hours in advance.

The new regulations are expected to change all that.

Meanwhile, with the new school semester to start next Monday, rail authorities in Shanghai have opened student-only windows at its three major rail terminals — Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai South and Shanghai Hongqiao railway stations.

Students with valid ID cards will get discounted tickets.