Erinome: Hello dear friends, today we are going to talk about the topic of "paper train tickets stopping issuance" and why so many people are feeling nostalgic lately. Hi Enceladus!
Enceladus: Hi Erinome! Oh, I’ve seen that too! Many netizens are posting their old paper train tickets online. It’s like a big "memory wave"—haha, why are they doing that suddenly?
Erinome: Well, the news says that after September 30th, paper reimbursement vouchers will stop being issued. So people are sharing their old ones to remember, maybe?
Enceladus: Wait, "paper reimbursement vouchers"? So does that mean we can’t get paper train tickets anymore? That sounds scary! How do we take trains then?
Erinome: Oh no, no! The 12306 customer service clarified that. They said people might misunderstand. It’s not the paper tickets for riding. It’s the paper vouchers used for报销. You know, the ones you get to claim money back from your company after traveling.
Enceladus: Oh right! So the paper thing we use to ride the train is still there?
Erinome: Actually, China has had paperless e-tickets for a long time. Since 2018, remember? Now, when you buy a ticket, you don’t get a paper ticket for riding. You just use your ID card to enter the station. But they do give a paper "itinerary information sheet"—it has your train number, seat, carriage, and gate number.
Enceladus: Oh! So that itinerary sheet is still available? Can we still print it if we need?
Erinome: Yes! The客服 (customer service) said you can print it at the人工窗口 (manual window) or the machines at the station. And if you lose it, you can print it again before the train leaves. How convenient!
Enceladus: That’s good. So the big change is only about the reimbursement part. After September 30th, we can’t get paper reimbursement vouchers anymore. We have to use electronic invoices instead, right?
Erinome: Exactly! The transition period is until September 30th. Before that, you could choose paper vouchers or electronic invoices. But after that, only electronic invoices. The railway started promoting electronic invoices in November 2024, and now it’s time to go fully digital.
Enceladus: Hmm. What about older passengers? Maybe some of them don’t use smartphones. How do they check their trip info without a paper ticket?
Erinome: Oh, the客服 (customer service) thought of that! If they don’t have a smartphone, they can still print the itinerary sheet. And 12306 will also send the train info—like time, station, seat—to their phone via SMS. So they won’t get lost, you know?
Enceladus: That’s nice. So even without a phone to check the app, they get a text. Smart!
Erinome: Right! And you can still buy tickets at the station window. After buying with your ID, the staff will help print the itinerary sheet for you. So it’s not hard at all.
Enceladus: So… what’s the difference between the old paper ticket and the itinerary sheet now?
Erinome: Oh, good question! The old paper ticket used to be both the riding pass and the reimbursement voucher. But since 2020, when e-tickets spread nationwide, the paper one only said "for reimbursement only". Now, the reimbursement part is going electronic, so that paper voucher is gone. The itinerary sheet is just for info—no报销 (reimbursement) use.
Enceladus: Got it. So the itinerary sheet is like a "reminder" of your trip, not a ticket or a voucher.
Erinome: Exactly! And it has all the important things: departure time, arrival station, seat number, gate. So you won’t mix up your train, haha.
Enceladus: What about people who need to报销? How do they get the electronic invoice? Is it hard?
Erinome: The客服 (customer service) said it’s easy! You do it through the 12306 app. Let me remember… Step 1: Open the app, log in, go to "My" page. Step 2: Find "Electronic Invoices" and click "Issue Electronic Invoice". Step 3: Choose the trip you need, fill in info like the invoice title and tax ID. Step 4: Submit, check, then download or send to your email.
Enceladus: Oh, that sounds manageable. But what if someone forgets to issue it?
Erinome: You have to do it within 180 days after the trip or after paying for a refund or change. And you can only issue it for your own tickets—can’t do it for others. So need to be careful, um.
Enceladus: I see. Back to the netizens posting old tickets—why are they so emotional?
Erinome: Oh, because those paper tickets hold memories! Like, maybe a ticket from their first trip alone, or a family vacation, or a trip to see a friend. Each ticket has a story, you know? One netizen said theirs had coffee stains from a train ride in 2010—haha, that’s so real!
Enceladus: Aww, that’s sweet. It’s like a little piece of history in your hand. I can understand why they’re sad to see it go.
Erinome: Totally! But change is good too. Electronic invoices are more convenient—no more losing paper vouchers, right? And it’s better for the environment, maybe? Less paper.
Enceladus: True! So it’s a mix of nostalgia and progress.
