Tickets for China's Long Distance Trains to Be Sold Ten Days in Advance
By a new regulation issued by China's Ministry of Railway Transportation, tickets for long distance passenger trains can be now be sold ten days in advance.
Until recently, most railway stations in China sell long distance train tickets four to six days in advance. The "long distance train" here refer to those trains that travel across more than one railway administrative district and make multiple stops on the way. Train that operate within one railway administrative district are known as short distance trains, and the tickets for these services are normally sold just a few days in advance. Additionally, there are long distance trains connecting cities that do not make any stops till it reaches its final destination; these are one-stop, express trains, the tickets for which can be purchased 20 days in advance.
Unlike the situation in the United States, train remains one of the most important means of travel in China. While in recent years railway passenger services have come to face the competition from air and highway transportation, given the large number of people on the move at all times, trains are still often crowded and tickets, especially those for sleeping berths, are occasionally hard to come by.
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