As the Chinese New Year approaches, mainland residents are entering the “Spring Festival travel rush” to head home for the holidays. The 12306 ticketing system has been selling out within seconds, making it increasingly difficult for people to secure tickets. However, the phenomenon of trains running with plenty of empty seats has sparked anger among the public, leading to a flood of criticism online directed at 12306.
12306 is the official customer service center and online ticketing platform for China’s railway system, operated by the China National Railway Group. It serves as the primary channel for purchasing mainland train tickets (including high-speed rail, intercity trains, and regular trains), providing a one-stop service for inquiries, ticket booking, refunds, and changes.
Official data from mainland China shows that this year’s railway “Spring Festival travel rush” is expected to transport 540 million passengers, a 5% increase compared to previous years. The total interregional population movement during the Spring Festival is projected to reach 9.5 billion person-times, setting a new historical record.
As of 8 a.m. on February 5th, the 12306 railway system has sold a total of 112 million tickets for the Spring Festival travel rush. While official figures may seem optimistic, the reality is quite different, with widespread frustration expressed online. Despite the ticket scarcity, there are abundant empty seats on trains, leaving passengers puzzled.
One individual, Xiaotong (pseudonym) from Putian City, Fujian Province, planned to travel to Xi’an for the New Year. She spent four to five days trying to secure tickets through 12306 but with little success. Eventually, she had to opt for a transfer route to get to Xi’an, with a layover in Nanchang on the way there and in Fuzhou on the return trip.
She said: “I waited for four to five days but couldn’t afford to wait any longer, so I bought tickets for the transfer route. Despite my efforts to join the waiting list, the success rate was low. Out of six waitlisted orders and nearly 70 trips, I failed to secure tickets for the first three attempts. I had no choice but to cancel all my waitlisted bookings in the end.”
A man named Li, originally from Yueyang, Hunan Province, working in Dongguan, Guangdong, shared with reporters that due to his financial constraints, he decided not to go home this year. However, his fellow villagers have been attempting to purchase regular train tickets on 12306 for a week without success, as all tickets were instantly sold out.
According to feedback from netizens, many set alarms, pre-filled passenger and train information, and eagerly watched the 12306 platform half an hour before tickets went on sale. However, they were met with disappointment as tickets were sold out in a split second, leaving them with only the option to waitlist.
In Guangdong, a netizen expressed frustration, stating that many were unable to buy one-way tickets and were forced to purchase full-length tickets or tickets with extra stops, making the process extremely challenging.
A netizen from Sichuan shared his experience of reserving tickets on the designated day but failing to secure any despite trying continuously for two days. Even with two phones trying to buy tickets right when they became available, he was unsuccessful. It was only after purchasing tickets with additional stops that he managed to secure a seat.
Another netizen called for attention from relevant authorities, citing the instant sellout on 12306 while third-party platforms offered tickets at a higher price. This disparity was seen as a violation of consumer rights.
Not only is securing tickets increasingly difficult, but what angered the public even more was the discovery of almost empty trains despite tickets being sold out.
Li mentioned: “My relative traveled from Qingdao to Wuchang on various dates without success, but when they finally found a sleeper berth on the 4th, the train was practically empty.”
Mr. Zhang, returning from Shenzhen to Shijiazhuang, relayed that his son struggled to get tickets on 12306 and only managed to secure them after others canceled their bookings. When boarding on February 3rd, the entire carriage had only seven passengers.
A person named Guan Yong recounted his experience of taking a train from Guangzhou to Changsha on February 4th. He was surprised to find that the train was nearly empty, with only 25 passengers on board. The carriage had one to three passengers at most, with more staff members than passengers.
He remarked: “I was shocked when boarding. After confirming with staff multiple times, I finally relaxed and put down my luggage. I don’t understand why the railway authorities are operating this way. 12306 tickets are hard to come by, with more waitlisted and third-party platform tickets available.”
Criticism online has been rife, with many expressing anger at the situation. Li noted: “Migrant workers can’t get tickets now, and the backlash has already gone viral. I believe the leaders at 12306 will face consequences for their actions, as it’s clear what they’re doing – allowing third-party platforms to sell tickets at a higher price is severely harming consumers’ interests!”
Another netizen vented online by saying, “Train tickets in 2026 are more absurd than ever before! The scalping era is simply self-endorsed! Deceptive 12306 is disgusting!”
“12306 is extremely disgusting, do we have to buy full-length tickets to be satisfied? Why is it so hard to purchase a ticket? This behavior is disgraceful and unacceptable, can’t they act like a decent platform for once?”
“12306 is one of the most disgusting software in the world, without a doubt. I hope relevant authorities investigate 12306 thoroughly as it’s finding ways to exploit our money.”