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Instructions for Purchasing Hong Kong Train Tickets

Instructions for Purchasing Hong Kong Train Tickets

Written by FabioUpdated Jan. 29, 2024

Due to the difference of China Railway system and Hong Kong Railway system, buying train tickets to and from Hong Kong is very different from buying train tickets in Chinese mainland. And the ways of collecting paper tickets, change and cancellation policies are also different.

How to Buy Hong Kong Train Ticket

There are two ways of purchasing train tickets to and from Hong Kong:

  • Purchasing paper ticket(s) offline at ticket counters in Chinese mainland
  • Purchasing e-ticket(s) online using the China Railway booking system

Please note that collecting paper tickets is becoming more and more inconvenient, so purchasing e-ticket is strongly recommended. International passengers only need to have their passports and e-ticket number checked to board on a train. If collecting paper tickets is a must for you, please follow the steps as below:

Way of purchase How to get paper ticket Change & cancellation
Offline at ticket counters in Chinese mainland  Tickets to be delivered to your hotel or address in China around 7 days before departure 1. Before delivery, China Highlights can handle change and cancellation for you. There is a fee charged by China Railway for changing or cancelling tickets.
2. After delivery, we cannot change or cancel tickets for you.
Booking online with China Railway 1. Collect tickets at any train station in Chinese mainland without extra cost.
2. Collect tickets at Hong Kong West Kowloon Station with an extra cost of HKD10-30 per ticket.
1. Before you collect tickets, we can change or cancel the tickets for you.
2. After you collect tickets, you need to change or cancel the tickets yourself at ticket counters with original passports.
3. There is a fee charged by China Railway for changing or cancelling tickets.
Hong Kong West KowloonLobby of Hong West Kowloon Train Station

Hong Kong Train Ticket Changes/Cancellations Policies

1. After the tickets are issued, China and Hong Kong Railways only allow changes on train number, seat class and travel date. Departure and arrival stations and passenger information cannot be changed.

2. According to the policies of China Railway and Hong Kong Railway, changes and cancellations should be made more than 30 minutes before departure time. If the departure station stated on your ticket is Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, then changes and cancellations need to be made more than 1 hour in advance.

3. Please send us the change/cancellation request via email at least 48 hours before departure. Please call us in case of emergency.

If Hong Kong Train Tickets are Issued Offline

  • Tickets will be purchased offline if you require delivery.
  • Before delivery, we can change or cancel the tickets for you. A fee for changing/cancelling tickets will be charged on behalf of China Railway.
  • After delivery, we are not able to change or cancel tickets for you. Tickets need to be changed or cancelled at the train station using passengers' orginal passports. You can change or cancel tickets at any train station in Chinese mainland or Hong Kong West Kowloon Station.

If Hong Kong Train Tickets are Issued on China Railway's Website

  • Before you collect paper tickets, China Highlights can handle all the changes and cancellations for you online.
  • After you collect paper tickets, you need to change or cancel the tickets at the train station in Chinese mainland yourself using the original ID documents.

Cancellation fee:

  • 5% of the ticket price if make cancellation more than 15 days before departure.
  • 30% of the ticket price if make cancellation 48 hours – 14 days before departure.
  • 50% of the ticket price if make cancellation less than 48 hours before departure.

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