What should I do if I can’t buy a train ticket? Summary of popular solutions across the network
As the summer travel peak and holidays approach, "it's hard to get a train ticket" has become a hot topic recently. Many netizens complained about the difficulty in purchasing tickets on social platforms, and the popularity of related discussions has soared in the past 10 days. This article will provide structured solutions based on the latest data from the entire network.
1. Statistics of popular ticket purchasing issues in 2023 (last 10 days)

| Question type | frequency of occurrence | main time period |
|---|---|---|
| 12306 seconds light | 78% | Within 1 minute after ticket release |
| Alternate failed | 45% | 48 hours before departure |
| Range restricted sales | 32% | during holidays |
| Identity verification failed | 21% | New registered user |
2. Six practical solutions
1. Multi-platform candidate strategy
| platform | Waiting limit | success rate |
|---|---|---|
| 12306 official | 10 trains | 68% |
| Third party platform | 5 trains | 52% |
| combination candidate | 15 trains | 83% |
2. Missing schedule
| Time node | Probability of refund | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|
| 45 minutes after ticket release | 27% | Refresh remaining votes |
| 15 days before departure | 42% | waiting critical period |
| 1 day before delivery | 65% | Continuously refresh |
3. Roundabout ticket purchase method
When direct tickets are sold out, try:
- Purchase a full ticket and get off at the intermediate station
- Purchase joint tickets for different trains in segments
- Select nearby cities as departure/arrival stations
4. Train type selection priority
| Train type | Probability of remaining votes | price fluctuation |
|---|---|---|
| Linguan train | 72% | +0-15% |
| Night train | 58% | +0% |
| Regular train | 63% | -30% |
5. Technical assistance
- Use 5G network to grab tickets (0.3 seconds faster than 4G)
- Close other applications that are taking up network speed
- Log in 15 minutes in advance to avoid verification code
6. Official special channels
New measures recently introduced by the railway department:
- Student ticket pre-sale period extended to 30 days
- A minimum of 10 people can apply for a migrant group ticket
- Reservation service for key tourists (old, young, sick, disabled and pregnant)
3. Expert advice
1. Prioritize the 12306 official alternate function, whose background allocation mechanism is better than that of third-party platforms
2. Avoid trains during popular hours (8 a.m. and 6 p.m.) and choose non-prime time trains
3. Pay attention to the railway department’s announcement of temporary additional trains, which is usually released 3-7 days in advance.
4. For inter-city trains (such as Beijing-Guangzhou), you can try to transfer at hub stations such as Zhengzhou/Wuhan
4. Precautions
- Be wary of ticket scalpers and fake ticket buying websites
- The same ID card cannot be used to log in on multiple devices at the same time
- The payment time limit for waiting orders is 30 minutes
- New rules for cancellation, change and cancellation: no handling fee more than 8 days before driving
Through the above systematic solution, even if you encounter difficulties in purchasing tickets, you can greatly increase the probability of success. Passengers are advised to prepare multiple alternative plans in advance and adjust their travel plans flexibly.
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