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How to Collect Paper Ticket

China Rail has adopted e-ticket system nationwide. Passengers holding all types of documents can travel with e-ticket cross the country. Paper tickets are only used for some international trains. Information on this page is a record on collecting receipt from China Rail, and paper tickets before 2023. Check out how to board and disembark a China Train.

How an e-ticket looks like?

China Rail gives an e-ticket number after a successful booking.


ETripChina catches up the screen shot and add notes in English. The picture shows your personal information, train details, seat number and E-ticket number.


What document required to collect my paper ticket?

1.E-ticket number.
2.Document that you used to book ticket including Passport, ID card for Mainland Chinese, or Mainland Travel Permit for passengers from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan etc.

Do not worry if it is not possible to print out the confirmation letter ETripChina sent. Correct e-ticket number is enough. You can write it down or save it in mobile phone. All the other information we provide is only for your reference or help you communicate with staff at train station).

You may have two passports, Mainland Travel Permit together with passport. It is very important to take the same document that you used to book ticket. Otherwise, China Rail will not let you collect paper ticket or check in even you have paper ticket in hand.

You may ask how to do if you lost it accidentally or handed it in to extend for visa. Do as our previous customer did – go to the police station if lost or the Chinese embassy to get a receipt from them.

When to collect my final paper ticket?

After a successful booking, you can change your e-ticket to paper ticket any time before boarding.

As usual, you just leave 15- 30 minutes more and collect it on your departure day, as ticket has been guaranteed under your personal information, no other person can collect it without your e-ticket number and passport.

However, you are advised to collect beforehand under following situation:
1. You train departs very early in the morning.
2. You travel in public holidays including Spring Festival which lasts about 10- 15 days; May Day Holiday (May 1st to 3rd); National Day holiday (Oct 1st to 7th) or other local big event.

Below are pictures of Shanghai Hongqiao Station waiting hall at normal days and National Day holiday.


Where to collect my paper ticket?

It is not limited to your departure train station but all train stations within China.

If you have purchased tickets to a number of destinations, you can pick up all at one train station to avoid repeated queues. An extra CNY 5 per ticket will be charged if it is not the departure city. Such as a booking of Beijing –Shanghai-Beijing, you do not have to pay extra for ticket from Beijing to Shanghai when you collect at Beijing station, but extra CNY5 is required if you collect the ticket from Shanghai to Beijing at Beijing station.


 

Can I use the ticket machine?

Currently, it can only serve passengers who hold Chinese ID card.


Problems our previous customers encountered

1. Remove the confirmation email by accident. Please send email request to contact@etripchina.com or call us at +86 773 5842555 for urgent.

2. Lost paper ticket after collecting at train station. You are not allowed to issue again and get onboard without paper ticket.

How to do next? Find out the ticket window for cancellation and change (退票窗口). Tell the staff that you have lost the ticket, show your passport and let them know your seat number if you can recall. They will require you to pay the ticket rate again and give you a receipt. Keep it well and show it to the attendant in your coach. When disembark at your destination, go to the ticket window for cancellation and change. The station will return you the ticket rate in cash. Or just simply ask for help at the information desk.


 

Useful sentences

请问火车站售票处在哪里? Please, where is the ticket office?
请问网络订票的取票窗口在哪里? Excuse me, I booked ticket online. Which ticket window should I go to?
请问在哪个窗口办理改签/退票? May I ask which window is for change and cancellation?
我的火车票弄丢了,请问我可以在哪个窗口补办?Excuse me, I have lost my paper ticket. Which ticket window should I go to?


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