What to Do if I Lost My China Train Ticket?

The valid ID certificate used in buying the original ticket; the name of the railway station where you bought or collected the original ticket; information on the original ticket including departure date, train number and arrival station.

4 Steps to Reclaim a Lost China Train Ticket before Getting Onboard

Step 1: Buy a replacement ticket with the required documents and information. The replacement ticket has the same train number, same seat class, same arrival station, same price and so on as the original one; the only difference is a special mark. 

Step 2: Get onboard with the replacement. 

Step 3: Inform the staff after getting onboard and they will provide you a travel voucher before arrival. 

Step 4: Get a full refund of the replacement upon arrival within 24 hours. The ID certificate, the replacement, the travel voucher and a service fee of CNY 2 will be required at this time. The replacement and travel voucher will not be returned. 

Usually, there is a designated ticket window handling ticket loss. Passengers should handle the procedure before the end of the ticket issuing time frame at the departure station, which varies from 5 to 20 minutes before departure at different stations. 

Chinese Phrases Used at Railway Stations 

Step 1: Report the loss to the staff. 

Step 2: Get a replacement and a travel voucher for free after the purchase record is confirmed. CNY 2 will be charged as service fee. 

Step 1: Tell the staff of the loss.

Step 3: Get full refund of the replacement and the service fee within 24 hours upon arrival with ID certificate, replacement and travel voucher, after the staff confirm the purchase record of the original ticket. The travel voucher will be taken back and CNY 2 will be charged. 

Sometimes after the staff onboard find the purchase record of the original ticket or even if they do not find it, they will just let you keep traveling without doing anything in order to save trouble. If you have any trouble when checking out, follow the steps below.  
 

Step 1: Inform the staff about the loss. 

Step 2: Get a replacement for free and pay the service fee of CNY 2 after the staff checks the original purchase record.

1. Passengers cannot provide valid ID certificate for buying the original ticket.

2. Purchase record cannot be found either onboard or at stations.

4. The ID certificate provided, the passenger and the purchase record do not match.

6. The actual traveling distance is longer than the allowed distance of the original ticket. 
 

Once found, the passenger will be asked to buy a new ticket at certain service fee. Also, the passenger’s ID information will be collected.   

 Note: The above rules are only applied to tickets of those trains running within Mainland China, but not applied to international trains and those to/from Hong Kong.

 Further Reading
How to Refund China Train Tickets

How to Change China Train Tickets