This chapter begins after successful issuance and covers ordinary domestic China Railway boarding. Account and passenger verification have separate chapters; the station still requires the right original, train and time allowance.
What to have ready
Match the issued ticket with the original credential
An ordinary domestic e-ticket is recorded in the railway system rather than created by treating a screen as a paper ticket. The official trip reminder expressly says it is not a boarding credential; neither a bank debit nor an agent's message replaces that credential. Bring the original valid document used to book, with ticket, document and traveller matching. A free child needs their own declared document. Do not arrive with only a Hong Kong identity card when the ticket is registered against a Mainland Travel Permit, or leave the original at the hotel because online verification succeeded. Resolve replacement-document or name mismatches with the railway before departure instead of borrowing someone else's document to pass a gate. Shared itinerary screenshots serve only as navigation information.
Use the appropriate automatic or manual lane
The current real-name FAQ includes Mainland Travel Permits among machine-readable documents that can be used in original form for applicable automatic verification and ticket checks. Travellers using other documents complete the process through a manual channel with their own original. This does not mean every gate reads every version, or that a temporarily unreadable card means no ticket exists. Follow station instructions to a manual lane or staff member and explain the booked document and train. Use any app-based dynamic-code function only under its actual holder eligibility and station equipment, rather than sharing a static screenshot or another traveller's code. Adults and children complete individual checks, then regroup somewhere that does not obstruct the passage. A shared payment does not reduce the party to one identity check.
Allow time inside the station
Reaching the station building starts the process: real-name verification, bag screening, waiting-area access, locating the train gate and reaching the platform remain. 12306 has a gate query using travel date, train and boarding station, but its results are reference information and station announcements take priority; a gate copied from an old screenshot is insufficient. Stations close checking before departure, with the actual cutoff published locally. Do not use departure time as the deadline to arrive or claim one nationwide number of minutes. Read the station displays and staff directions and compare train, direction and carriage before proceeding to the platform safely. Leave coffee, shopping or invoice requests for a clearly adequate interval; near closure, boarding takes priority over those optional tasks.
Worked example: use staff help for an unreadable permit
A traveller has an issued domestic ticket and the correct Mainland Travel Permit, but one gate cannot read it. They move aside, show staff the original and train details, and follow directions to manual verification rather than repeatedly trying a friend's document. After verification, they still inspect the official display for the train gate and allow time for screening and platform access. An accompanying child has their own discount ticket, so the parent helps with the child's individual check instead of substituting an adult-order screenshot. If the train gate has already closed, the traveller approaches railway staff and uses the missed-train guidance rather than forcing entry because payment succeeded. The return requires another document and train check, without copying the outward gate.
Bring the correct original, use the station's appropriate lane and gate, and allow for checking that closes before departure.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.