Expanding Reading（拓展阅读）
China Train Tickets
China train ticket types can be classified into:
On high speed trains(C，D，G trains):first-class seat，second-class seat，business class seat，premier class seat，soft sleeper，luxury soft sleeper.
On ordinary trains(Z，T，K，Y，L trains):hard sleeper，soft sleeper，luxury soft sleeper，hard seat，soft seat.
High Speed Train(CRH)
Identified by the letters C/D/G plus several digits and usually in white or grey with bulletlike locomotives，the high speed types are fast，clean，well-equipped like an airplane and run more smoothly.They are the first choice of most passengers.But most of them do not run overnight and the price is generally higher than the normal types.
Business Class Seat（商务座），on a few services pending on train types，such as the CRH380AL or CRH380BL trains.C，D or G train business class seats are the equivalent to the first-class on an airplane and are only available on G and some D types.There are two sofa-like seats on one side and one on the other side.The seats can be adjusted flat for passengers to lie down.The fare is the highest—about twice that of the first-class seat.
Business Class Seat
Premier Class Seat（特等座），can vary depending on the train types，from being similar to business class style seats or first-class seats located in premier or sightseeing positions such as behind the drivers cab.There are 3 seats per row（2＋1）and they are compartment seats.Unlike business class seats，these seats are not lie-flat seats，but can in general recline.
First-class Seat（一等座），used for CRH series EMU trains.First-class seats on C，D or G trains have four seats in a row，two on each side of the aisle.They are wider and softer than those in second-class.With a small pillow and a foldable footrest，they offer a more comfortable experience.The ticket fare is about 20%to 40%higher than the second-class.
First-class Seat
Second-class Seat（二等座），used for CRH series EMU trains.Second-class seats have five seats in a row，three on one side of the aisle and two on the other side.The seats are like those in economy class on an airplane.The backrest can be adjusted to a comfortable angle and has a small，foldable table attached.The seats can be rotated，so all passengers can sit facing forward.The seats in other classes also have this feature.Second-class ticket price is the lowest among all high speed classes，so it is the most popular and the most frequently used.
Second-class Seat
Sleeper Berth(soft sleeper，luxury soft sleeper)，used for CRH series EMU trains.Found on only a few“D”trains running overnight between Shanghai—Beijing or Beijing—Shenzhen.Similar as a soft sleeper on conventional trains but are limited to 4 berths to a compartment.Some upper berths can fold away to permit running purely as seated passengers.
Ordinary Train
Usually colored blue，red or green，they are identified by Z/T/K/L/Y plus digits or just several digits without letters.They run at a lower speed than high speed types，but they run day and night.The facilities are generally of a lower standard，e.g.the toilets are mostly squatting ones.With relatively lower prices，they are often the choice of budget travellers.
Hard Seat（硬座），is the basic fare，the cheapest among all classes.As the name implies，it can be something of an ordeal，especially for a long journey.Not only are the seats hard，the seat backs are almost vertical and cannot be adjusted.The carriages are always noisy，smelly and crowded with non-seat passengers，especially during peak seasons.There are five seats in a row，two on one side of the aisle and three on the other side.A small table is set between every two opposite rows.On busier routes，passengers who cannot arrange for better seats because of overcrowding must purchase this type of ticket.In some cases，tickets are sold with no seat assigned（无座），which allows the railway to sell more tickets than the seats in the car.Still，even the number of“no seat”tickets offered for sale is limited to keep overcrowding within limits.
Hard Seat
Soft Seat（软座），is one level above the hard seat，only available on a few trains.There are four seats in a row with two on each side.The seats are cushioned and softer.The fare is about 1.5 times of a hard seat.
Soft Seat
Hard Sleeper（硬卧），is the basic accommodation for an overnight train.Despite the name，the bunks comfortably accommodate anyone below six feet.Three bunks are arranged on a side in a compartment—indicated by top，middle and bottom on the ticket.There are no doors for the compartments.As the compartments lack doors，it is hard to have a good sleep due to continuous snores，kids'crying and the sound of the train moving.The fare is about twice as much as a hard seat.
Hard Sleeper
Soft Sleeper（软卧），contains a wider bunk bed in an enclosed cabin，two bunks on a side.There is more room for luggage storage than in a hard sleeper.Occasionally there may be an entertainment system where movie channels are available for viewing through headphones and an LCD display for each bunk.The fare is about 50%higher than a hard sleeper.
Luxury Soft Sleeper（高级软卧包厢），is the top level sleeper that is only provided by a few trains.The ticket is also much more expensive than that of a soft sleeper.It only contains two beds in a cabin，and a leisure area with a sofa and an independent western-style toilet.Some of them have a shower cubicle in the car.The fare is about twice as much as a soft sleeper.They are only available on some long-distance trips between major cities.
Special Ticket
Standing Room Tickets（无座票）are issued only after all the above tickets are sold out.Passengers holding these tickets are only allowed in the hard seat carriages，standing along the aisle or at the end of a carriage.The fare is the same as that of a hard seat.
Luxury Soft Sleeper
Children under 3.9 feet(1.2 meters)and accompanied by an adult can travel for free.They do not have their own seat or bunk but share one with the adult.However，if a seat is required，it can be purchased at half the full fare;whereas that of a hard/soft sleeper is the full price minus half of the hard/soft seat fare(about 75%of the full price).If there are two or more children under 3.9 feet in height，only one child enjoys a free ride and the others have to pay for child tickets.
Children between 3.9 feet and 4.9 feet(1.5 meters)have to pay.The fare for a seat is half of the full fare and the child has his/her own seat.If the child takes a hard/soft sleeper and shares a bunk with the adult，the fare is still half of the hard/soft seat.However，if the child has his/her own bunk，the fare will be the full fare of the hard/soft sleeper minus half the fare of the hard/soft seat(about 75%of the full price).
Student Tickets（学生票）are only for Chinese college students.Foreign students cannot buy them.
Platform Tickets（站台票）are for people seeing off or picking up friends and relatives and it costs CNY 1.However，to reduce congestion and ensure safety，many stations have stopped selling platform tickets.Instead，a card will be issued only to those really in need.
How to Buy China Train Tickets
China train tickets can be bought from:
1.Online agencies like Ctrip.
2.Railway stations or ticket outlets in mainland China.
3.12306.cn，the official website of China Railway Corporation.
4.95105105，the official hotline.
Valid ID is required for buying tickets，which include:
Foreign Passengers:Passport
Hong Kong，Macau and Taiwan Passengers:Mainland Travel Permit
Note:The pre-sale time of China train tickets has been temporarily adjusted from 60 days to 30 days for online or phone bookings，while 28 days for buying at railway stations and ticket outlets.It is unknown when the previous pre-sale time will be regained.
Here are details of the four ways showing you how to buy tickets.
Book Tickets through an Online Agency
This is the most practical and convenient way for those who speak little Chinese，as the official China Railway website(12306.cn)is only in Chinese and accepts only China's bank card payment.There are many such agencies and their service level and fee may vary from one to another.
Buy Tickets at Railway Stations and Ticket Outlets
You can also go in person to purchase tickets at any railway station or ticket outlet in Mainland China.Both of their pre-sale periods are 28 days before departure.There is an additional charge of CNY 5 per ticket at ticket outlets as service fee.
There are several preparations you need to make before going:
Search on the website to know the real-time schedule and choose the relevant train.There are electric information boards at stations showing the train schedule，but they are rarely in English.
Have second，third or more choices of train，class，or even departure date，by which time the tickets may have run out，especially during peak travel seasons and for popular routes.
Print out or write down the train number，class，departure station，departure date，arrival station，and all other necessary information and show them to the staff，as only selected staff in metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai may speak English.
Bring your valid ID，such as a passport.If you are going to buy for others，bring theirs，too.
Prepare enough cash or a China's bank card.All payments are to be made in cash or UnionPay Card.
Expect a long queue at the station.
Do not queue for automatic ticket vending machines at the station，as they only recognize Chinese issued ID cards.
Book Tickets on 12306.cn
This is the official website of the China Railway Corporation and its pre-sale time is 30 days before departure.Here below are several points you need to take notes unless you have a Chinese friend to assist you.
12306.cn
You need to know Chinese very well，as it is only in Chinese.
You need to register using a phone number based in China.
Your name on the booking system must match exactly the one on your ID.Spaces and symbols(hyphens)from foreign languages are not allowed.Often names on IDs do not correspond to personalized names.Example:James Green's name shows in his passport as Green(on the top line)and James(on the lower line).The difference between the booking system and the ID may result in a failed booking or boarding.
Cases that Chinese railway tickets can be successfully collected after booking online.
Online payment must be done within 30 minutes on a China's bank card，or risking the transaction being null and void.
After booking successfully，you can follow the instructions for collection.Please note that overseas passengers currently can only pick up tickets from online or phone bookings at railway stations;ticket outlets are unable to print e-tickets.
Call 95105105 for Ticket Reservation
This is the official reservation hotline with a pre-sale time of 30 days ahead of departure.To book via it you need to:
Have very good Chinese listening skills，as only Chinese is spoken.
Have a pen and paper handy to write down the booking number and keep it safe for collection.
Pick up the ticket within 24 hours at a railway station，otherwise the booking will be cancelled.
China train tickets do sell out，especially for distant locations and popular routes.During peak travel seasons，such as Chinese New Year and the National Day holiday(Oct.1—7)，they can sell out within minutes.You are advised to book as early as possible once you have finalized your travel plan.