Refund & Change Policy
China Railway rules, as applied to bookings made through TrainTicket.travel
Before ticketing
Cancel free of charge. Nothing has been paid and no ticket has been issued, so there is nothing to refund. If you have already paid but we have not issued the ticket yet, tell us straight away — we will cancel the request and return the full amount.
After ticketing — what the railway keeps
China Railway deducts a percentage of the fare based on how long before departure you cancel. These are the standard figures:
| When you cancel | Deduction |
|---|---|
| More than 8 days before departure | 5% of the fare |
| Between 48 hours and 8 days | 5% of the fare |
| Between 24 and 48 hours | 10% of the fare |
| Less than 24 hours before departure | 20% of the fare |
| After the train has left | No refund — the ticket can usually be changed the same day |
The railway sets these percentages and applies its own rule at the moment of the refund. If the rule changes, the rule in force that day governs.
Our service fee
When the railway refunds the fare, we refund our service fee in full. We do not keep a handling charge on cancellations — the only money you lose is the railway’s deduction.
How the money comes back
Refunds return to the card or account you paid with, through the same payment provider. We submit the refund as soon as the railway confirms it; how quickly it shows on your statement depends on your bank, which is outside our control.
Changing date or train instead
Changes are handled by the railway and depend on seats being available on the new departure, plus any fare difference. A change is usually cheaper than cancelling and rebooking, especially inside 24 hours. Message us with your order number and we will process it with you.
When the railway cancels
If a train is cancelled, or we cannot secure the seats you paid for, you receive a full refund including our service fee — and we will offer an alternative departure if one exists.
Korea and Thailand
Bookings on Korean and Thai railways follow those operators’ own conditions, which are quoted to you before you pay. The percentages above are China Railway’s.
How to request a refund
Email support@traintickets.travel with your order number, or open My bookings. Requests must reach us before the train departs.