No tickets for high-speed trains - implementation
Aug 6, 2019 | 1:39 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,894
No tickets for high-speed trains - implementation
Following the announcement earlier this year that paper tickets would not longer be required by the end of the year, the railway company announced today the procedure for foreigners. Essentially you need to show your passport and the barcode of your booking. You can't use the machines that read id cards so you show these to the staff usually standing at the end of the line of readers.
https://www.12306.cn/mormhweb/zxdt/2...726_24078.html
This only works for selected stations at this time as listed in the announcement.
https://www.12306.cn/mormhweb/zxdt/2...726_24078.html
This only works for selected stations at this time as listed in the announcement.
Aug 6, 2019 | 5:06 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,894
Actually my in-laws in Nanjing have not used paper tickets to go to Shanghai for a few years now.
But the important news here is that it will also work for foreigners.
Aug 7, 2019 | 8:30 am
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,399
Yes, and everything in-between. I saw the new machines in Suzhou a while back. But this is the first step with the whole network done by year-end.
Actually my in-laws in Nanjing have not used paper tickets to go to Shanghai for a few years now.
But the important news here is that it will also work for foreigners.
Actually my in-laws in Nanjing have not used paper tickets to go to Shanghai for a few years now.
But the important news here is that it will also work for foreigners.
Aug 7, 2019 | 1:14 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,934
Oh - how timely for us as we're traveling next fall. This won't make those ticket brokers happy! I was just searching about how to do this the old way and the least convoluted way seemed to be to have them send the printed tickets to my hotel, avoiding the pick up at the station step.
Aug 8, 2019 | 1:43 pm
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,399
Presumably, you can either print out the QR code or show it on your phone (e.g. the 12306 app is mentioned several times in the article) for the train people to scan.
But, I just read the article again, and noticed that passports are not listed as a valid ID type. Rather, it specifies 外国人永久居留身份证, which is the permanent residence card for foreigners (not to be confused with the 1-5 year residence permits that are attached to work or study permits). In light of the fact that these are still rather uncommon, I'm wondering if it was a typo, or if they are planning on rolling it out more broadly after working out the kinks.
Does anyone have any first hand experience (using passports as ID) yet?
But, I just read the article again, and noticed that passports are not listed as a valid ID type. Rather, it specifies 外国人永久居留身份证, which is the permanent residence card for foreigners (not to be confused with the 1-5 year residence permits that are attached to work or study permits). In light of the fact that these are still rather uncommon, I'm wondering if it was a typo, or if they are planning on rolling it out more broadly after working out the kinks.
Does anyone have any first hand experience (using passports as ID) yet?
Aug 8, 2019 | 1:58 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,286
You need to read the sentence following, which explains that those who hold other ID should go with their original ID through the manual lane. No need mentioned for a barcode or anything else.
使用其他证件购票的旅客，凭购票时所使用的乘车人有效身份证件原件，通过人工通道办理验证、进 出站手续。
The barcode comes up in a later provision which says those who've undergone real-name validation on the app can pass through the automatic gates using a QR code generated by the app.
在12306.cn网站注册用户且通过铁路12306手机APP完成人脸身份核验，可凭铁路12306手机 APP生成的动态二维码，通过自动检票闸机办理进、出站检票手续。
No need for showing ID, just the phone? Does this apply to foreigners, too? Time will tell.
As for anything else, you can get an information slip showing your train details, but the announcement clearly says you can't present that for travel.
使用其他证件购票的旅客，凭购票时所使用的乘车人有效身份证件原件，通过人工通道办理验证、进 出站手续。
The barcode comes up in a later provision which says those who've undergone real-name validation on the app can pass through the automatic gates using a QR code generated by the app.
在12306.cn网站注册用户且通过铁路12306手机APP完成人脸身份核验，可凭铁路12306手机 APP生成的动态二维码，通过自动检票闸机办理进、出站检票手续。
No need for showing ID, just the phone? Does this apply to foreigners, too? Time will tell.
As for anything else, you can get an information slip showing your train details, but the announcement clearly says you can't present that for travel.
Aug 8, 2019 | 3:50 pm
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,399
Based on my "rereading", this is my current interpretation as well (i.e. show ticket printout plus passport in order to pass manual inspection...similar to the procedure for pink tickets now, assuming they still exist). Perhaps we are both mistaken though. But, just think about how long it took the banks and mobile companies figure out the kinks in real name verification for foreigners. Basically, we are an outlier case that product managers prefer to put on the back burner. Perhaps we'll become a higher priority after the system itself is rolled out nationwide.
Aug 8, 2019 | 4:14 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,286
Not a single word in there about showing a printout! Nothing!
It sounds like your electronic ticket -- existing in the ether only -- will be based on your ID document number, and nothing further.
By the way, note that the rules apply to both entry and exit. No longer any paper ticket to quickly flash when exiting to show you're ticketed to that station; you'll have to fish out your passport, wait in the manual line, then wait again while they scan your passport to bring up your ticket.
It sounds like your electronic ticket -- existing in the ether only -- will be based on your ID document number, and nothing further.
By the way, note that the rules apply to both entry and exit. No longer any paper ticket to quickly flash when exiting to show you're ticketed to that station; you'll have to fish out your passport, wait in the manual line, then wait again while they scan your passport to bring up your ticket.
Aug 8, 2019 | 6:14 pm
#15
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,286
In the App, go to 我的 in the SE corner of the homepage, which takes you to 我的12306. Then click on 人证核验, which takes you to a page asking for photos of your passport and you holding your passport. It says it takes two or three working days. This seems to replace the old approach where you went to the station.