Originally Posted by
31570324
Are you sure there is no special ticket stock that could only be sold at the departure city? They told me in Changsha there are no tickets for Nanchang Beijing (and I talked with a english speaking agent at the ticket counter). Next afternoon in Nanchang there was a lot tickets available for this route. It was a Z Train and I got good sleep in it. The Kunming Zhangjiajie Train use his horn almost every minute, but this Z Train didnt.
They also ask for my passport to give me a ticket from Chansgha to Nanchang, I got all other train tickets without registration.
The ability to purchase a ticket in City A for a B-->C journey is still not universally consistent across the rail system. I think this was one of those times, as the Changsha station wouldn't have had any reason to hold back if they could actually sell him the ticket. Until it gets more consistent, one should always try first, and then have Plan B as backup. Which worked out fine in this situation.
The Z trains are express trains and they run on standard tracks, but are indeed the best and fastest choice (few stops) when available and there is no bullet train running the route. I find them one of the better long-distance travel bargains for the budget traveler.