Recently, two girls bought three hard-seat train tickets, using the middle seat to store snacks. A female passenger without a seat wanted to sit there but was refused. This incident sparked heated discussion about the "right to decide where seats are placed."

Many netizens pointed out that it's normal for those who bought tickets not to be allowed to reserve seats. However, some netizens questioned how many train tickets one person can buy if all tickets are purchased under their real names. Is it legal to use someone else's ID to buy a ticket and reserve a seat? Is the ticket still valid if the ticket holder (the person whose ID corresponds to the seat) doesn't board the train? Does the ticket purchaser have the right to dispose of a seat that isn't theirs?

On August 20, a reporter from The Paper, after reviewing information from the official website of China Railway 12306, found that a valid ID can only be used to purchase one ticket for the same train on the same travel date, except for high-speed sleeper trains. A single order cannot exceed five tickets. By the end of October 2025, the China Railway 12306 customer service center will add a telephone service for group passenger tickets. The maximum number of tickets that can be purchased in a single transaction through the China Railway 12306 app (including the website) will be increased to 19, and the number of passengers that can be added to a single China Railway 12306 account will be increased from 15 to 30.

Passengers can purchase tickets with their valid ID, but what happens if the passenger doesn't board the train? On August 20th, a customer service representative from the 12306 railway website told The Paper that if the passenger ultimately doesn't board, the ticket will remain in the system as "sold." However, if the passenger doesn't travel and doesn't request a refund, the ticket will expire and cannot be refunded.

So who has the right to dispose of the seat? The customer service representative pointed out that if a passenger purchases a ticket but does not board the train, the right to hold the ticket and dispose of the seat belongs to the passenger, i.e., the holder of the ticket's ID. Others who wish to place items or occupy the seat must communicate with the passenger directly; the railway department cannot enforce this. However, if other ticket purchasers obtain the ticket holder's consent, they can dispose of the seat themselves.

The customer service representative further pointed out, "Currently, the railway department has not issued any clear regulations. What we have been told is that if the ticket holder does not come, it is up to the ticket holder to make the decision. If the staff on the train encounters this situation, they can only assist in coordination on a voluntary basis and will not make a mandatory decision on seat allocation."

(Source: The Paper)