I'm a Chinese Member

[caijinzhi]

hi every one!
i come from china,and i m only 14!i find you on google.i think that there must some difference between UK rails and china rails.first of all,we are not as free as you!OMG.i m in the GFW !!!

 

[the sniper]

Hi!

Not as 'free' in what way? I can imagine that being the case, but it would be interesting to hear more about the railways in China.

 

[WatcherZero]

You need papers to travel and tickets can only be bought in person.

Some hotels offer a service where you pay for someone to take your passport and go queue for you.

 

[Invincibles]

The ticket machines are in English, but foreigners can not use them to buy tickets, we can only use the non English speaking ticket windows.

It is not just British railways that defy sense.

 

[caijinzhi]

en.do you know SPRING Transport？now,here is it.it s scary!!only some "VIP"can get tickets from“Secret channel”and Ordinary people almost cant get any tickets including “No seat tickets”！
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Hi!

Not as 'free' in what way? I can imagine that being the case, but it would be interesting to hear more about the railways in China.

haha……of course funny.like Joke！

this is my first time that talk in foreigner forum.thanks for this chance!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The ticket machines are in English, but foreigners can not use them to buy tickets, we can only use the non English speaking ticket windows.

It is not just British railways that defy sense.

……i am chinese but i have never used it. only sale"high speed"train ticket.

 

[Invincibles]

I would actually say that there is a lot that the UK system could learn from the Chinese rail system, particularly the high speed operations.

One of the things I like here is how well organised the new stations are, with clear entry and exit routes to ensure as little conflicting movement of passengers on the platform as possible. Further, by having everyone waiting in the main waiting rooms it really does make it easier to get about (particularly after a long flight from the UK with two big suitcases).

Similarly that the trains stop in the right place and with the right coach number aligned with the marker on the platform makes life a lot easier, still does not stop people standing in front of the door as others try to get off though. I think that must be a problem everywhere.

Another good thing are the reversible seats on the high speed lines so everything is facing the direction of travel (apart from a few tables), I would imagine that would be popular in the UK.

Neither place seems to get windows and seats to line up though

 

[caijinzhi]

I would actually say that there is a lot that the UK system could learn from the Chinese rail system, particularly the high speed operations.

One of the things I like here is how well organised the new stations are, with clear entry and exit routes to ensure as little conflicting movement of passengers on the platform as possible. Further, by having everyone waiting in the main waiting rooms it really does make it easier to get about (particularly after a long flight from the UK with two big suitcases).

Similarly that the trains stop in the right place and with the right coach number aligned with the marker on the platform makes life a lot easier, still does not stop people standing in front of the door as others try to get off though. I think that must be a problem everywhere.

Another good thing are the reversible seats on the high speed lines so everything is facing the direction of travel (apart from a few tables), I would imagine that would be popular in the UK.

Neither place seems to get windows and seats to line up though

you are right.chinese stations are crowded......and chinese want to go home when mid autumn or spring festival.so there must have some rules to keep the station safe.

 

[EM2]

Ordinary people almost cant get any tickets including “No seat tickets”！

When you say 'no seat tickets', are these special tickets which mean you can only stand on the train?

 

[Invincibles]

you are right.chinese stations are crowded......and chinese want to go home when mid autumn or spring festival.so there must have some rules to keep the station safe.

I usually find Suzhou is not too bad, but I have never been there for the holidays (any holiday here is a chance to fly to the UK, and I try to get out before the rush )

The queues when the holiday tickets go on sale are mad as well, if you can actually call some of them queues

 

[caijinzhi]

When you say 'no seat tickets', are these special tickets which mean you can only stand on the train?

YES you are right!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I usually find Suzhou is not too bad, but I have never been there for the holidays (any holiday here is a chance to fly to the UK, and I try to get out before the rush )

The queues when the holiday tickets go on sale are mad as well, if you can actually call some of them queues

wow my dad is in suzhou now, he works in there

 

[newbie babs]

where abouts in china are you

 

[imagination]

Another good thing are the reversible seats on the high speed lines so everything is facing the direction of travel (apart from a few tables), I would imagine that would be popular in the UK.

I always ask for seats with my back to the direction of travel. I've always preferred it that way.

 

[caijinzhi]

where abouts in china are you

Hanzhong Shaanxi
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I always ask for seats with my back to the direction of travel. I've always preferred it that way.

en CRH is expensive for some chinese people.i have taken it twice.

 

[Yew]

So is rail travel in china like domestic air travel, with needing passports (or a similar document) to travel?

 

[bb21]

hi every one!
i come from china,and i m only 14!i find you on google.i think that there must some difference between UK rails and china rails.first of all,we are not as free as you!OMG.i m in the GFW !!!

Welcome to the forum.

You need papers to travel and tickets can only be bought in person.

Incorrect, and incorrect.

Some hotels offer a service where you pay for someone to take your passport and go queue for you.

Yes, as queues at the ticket office of some major stations can be horrendous. I mean, Sheffield during rush hours is nothing compared to the queues at any decent-sized Chinese railway station ticket office all day long.

The ticket machines are in English, but foreigners can not use them to buy tickets, we can only use the non English speaking ticket windows.

It is not just British railways that defy sense.

The problem is that in order to use the high-speed D- and G- prefixed services, you need to be able to provide ID, and the TVMs are enabled to read second-generation identity cards, but obviously not passports. So if you do not have a second-generation identity card then you will not be able to use the TVMs to purchase tickets for high-speed services. This measure is now being expanded into other, slower, services.

The merits of this measure is debatable. In reality, only a very small percentage of travellers get ID-ed, as otherwise it would take hours to clear a queue of a couple of thousand passengers for just one service.

I would actually say that there is a lot that the UK system could learn from the Chinese rail system, particularly the high speed operations.

Agreed.

One of the things I like here is how well organised the new stations are, with clear entry and exit routes to ensure as little conflicting movement of passengers on the platform as possible. Further, by having everyone waiting in the main waiting rooms it really does make it easier to get about (particularly after a long flight from the UK with two big suitcases).

It is a very delicate system to manage. Considering the sheer number of passengers, if there is no segregation to some degree, there would be utter mayhem during popular times.

Another good thing are the reversible seats on the high speed lines so everything is facing the direction of travel (apart from a few tables), I would imagine that would be popular in the UK.

Neither place seems to get windows and seats to line up though

These are the posh seats that you have, which none of the ordinary folks will be able to afford.

Second Class seating is 3+2. First Class is 2+2. Special Class is 2+1. Then there are a couple of other classes even higher depending on the stock.

When you say 'no seat tickets', are these special tickets which mean you can only stand on the train?

A legacy from the old days, when demand far exceeded supply. What would happen is that tickets are sold which do not have allocated seating, at the same price as those for hard-bench seating, so that the passenger can at least join the service. When onboard, they can then sit wherever they like if a seat is available, or sit on the floor/sit on the luggage/stand for the whole journey more often than not as seated accommodation had sold out. If a berth became available on a long-distance service, then the passenger may pay an excess to the guard to upgrade to the relevant berth accommodation. Similarly a passenger unable to secure a berth before departure may buy a seated ticket first and upgrade onboard subject to availability.

So is rail travel in china like domestic air travel, with needing passports (or a similar document) to travel?

No, but tickets for high-speed services (and some others) will require some form of ID before being sold.

 

[caijinzhi]

Welcome to the forum.



Incorrect, and incorrect.



Yes, as queues at the ticket office of some major stations can be horrendous. I mean, Sheffield during rush hours is nothing compared to the queues at any decent-sized Chinese railway station ticket office all day long.



The problem is that in order to use the high-speed D- and G- prefixed services, you need to be able to provide ID, and the TVMs are enabled to read second-generation identity cards, but obviously not passports. So if you do not have a second-generation identity card then you will not be able to use the TVMs to purchase tickets for high-speed services. This measure is now being expanded into other, slower, services.

The merits of this measure is debatable. In reality, only a very small percentage of travellers get ID-ed, as otherwise it would take hours to clear a queue of a couple of thousand passengers for just one service.



Agreed.



It is a very delicate system to manage. Considering the sheer number of passengers, if there is no segregation to some degree, there would be utter mayhem during popular times.



These are the posh seats that you have, which none of the ordinary folks will be able to afford.

Second Class seating is 3+2. First Class is 2+2. Special Class is 2+1. Then there are a couple of other classes even higher depending on the stock.



A legacy from the old days, when demand far exceeded supply. What would happen is that tickets are sold which do not have allocated seating, at the same price as those for hard-bench seating, so that the passenger can at least join the service. When onboard, they can then sit wherever they like if a seat is available, or sit on the floor/sit on the luggage/stand for the whole journey more often than not as seated accommodation had sold out. If a berth became available on a long-distance service, then the passenger may pay an excess to the guard to upgrade to the relevant berth accommodation. Similarly a passenger unable to secure a berth before departure may buy a seated ticket first and upgrade onboard subject to availability.



No, but tickets for high-speed services (and some others) will require some form of ID before being sold.

you are right .thank you for answer them clearly.my english is not very good.

 

[deltic1989]

clearly.my english is not very good.

There are people in England that speak much worse English my friend. You are doing alright. Welcome to the forum.