jiejie

You should still be able to get tickets all at once (assuming D or G trains), but won't be able to use the automated machines and will have to go to a ticketing window and show passport.

moondog

Learning how to properly pronounce the words "Beijing" and "Tianjin" should require no more than 2 minutes of your time. And, I'm guessing that google can probably teach you for free.

William S

Had no problems buying tickets in both Beijing and Tianjin. Worst was queueing up for the booth. The agent in Tianjin even spoke a little English. Just fell in love with those bullet trains. I think having those machines in English is silly when people who needs the English text cannot use them anymore.... also the Beijing metro machines should take 1 rmb notes... Just realized they only take 5 and 10 notes... Well does not seem logic, but ah i am in China I guess.

moondog

If you have ever assessed the condition of the typical 1RMB note, you shouldn't need to pose that question (I just received a few of the purple ones in change today, and you can barely tell that they are money). But, ime the human beings that doll out tickets in BJ subway stations are extremely efficient (i.e. far faster than fooling with the machines).

anacapamalibu

Various news agencies are reporting that the official start state
for the Beijing-Shanghai route is July 1.

Beijing-Shanghai high-speed trains to commence on July 1

http://asia.businesstraveller.com/as...s-to-commence-

junipermike

I am in China right now and I experienced for the first time the new rule requiring you to present your passport in order to buy tickets.

I was actually at the automated machines using it in english and I got so frustrated because it wouldn't spit out a ticket. I then was told by one of the agents about the new law.

I had two trips, Shanghai to Hangzhou and Shanghai to Suzhou. Buying of the tickets at the window definitely slowed things down, but it wasn't horrible. Fewer Chinese people use the ticket windows now that there are automated machines. The scanning of their ID cards at the machines appears to go quickly enough.

As for communication with the ticket window clerk, I can't say enough about an APP that I loaded onto my iPhone that does quick translations. I type in the phrase, "I want to go to Hangzhou first class", and the phrase gets translated into simplified chinese characters that I can then just show the clerk. Works great for taxis, restaurants, etc. Long winded sentences with more complex sentence structure don't often work, so you have to keep it simple.

So long story short, it's not a major pain. It's just another thing to deal with in China.

anacapamalibu

Google voice to voice for english-mandarin should be finished soon.
Their first translation input was " mei you ".

mnredfox

Agree fully. But hopefully there are more and more auto machines (but consensus still out on the PP issue with these).

moondog

This can't possibly be true... no way.

jiejie

Agree this can't be right--something got lost in translation here. The governing factor is going to be when the sales period before departure date opens and the time until sell-out...same as it's always been.

moondog

I suppose there is a 1%* chance that the airlines managed to exert their influence in BJ in order to protect themselves from their upcoming obsolescence. If that were to be the case, you can bet that mass protests would force a quick policy correction. Trains are one of those areas in which the government tends to listen to the masses.

*ETA: Make that "1 in 10,000".

susiesan

junipermike: Were you buying tickets in advance or for travel right away? Did you buy your return tickets at the same time or as you left Hangzhou and Suzhou? Those are places I will be going.

Unfortunately, I do not have an iPhone or any other smartphone. I will be cell phone less on my trip. I will have to rely on the few sentences I learned to say in my Mandarin class and my pocket Mandarin phrase book.

anacapamalibu

Looks like they are getting it together at least for those literate in Chinese.



Beijing-Tianjin train tickets start online sale(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-11 22:00

BEIJING - The Ministry of Railways said Saturday that online sales of tickets for Beijing-Tianjin intercity trains will be launched on Sunday.

The move is aimed at enhancing convenient purchases of tickets for Beijing-Tianjin intercity trains, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

Passengers can log onto www.12306.cn, the website of China railway customer service center, to check and book train tickets. The Internet portal operates from 5 am to midnight every day.

[I]The online ticket sales system allows passengers to use four types of personal identification[/I], including ID cards, mainland travel permits for Hong Kong and Macao residents, entry permits of Taiwan residents to the mainland, and passports, the statement said.

The ministry said the online train ticket sales system will also be introduced in the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, which will start operations at the end of June.

sniles

I haven't read the entire thread, but I suggest editing the OP as from personal experience it is certainly possible to purchase a ticket presenting only a copy of the passport. Since June 1st my driver has on three occasions taken a copy of my pp and purchased tickets without any hassle.
I can only speak for Shanghai and all tickets were purchased for the SH-NJ-SH G trains from a Jing'an Ticket Center.

anacapamalibu

True in Shanghai, but no evidence, AFAIK, it works in Beijing.