Q: With the start of the school season, many children need to travel by train back to their homes. Generally, children meeting certain age requirements can apply for unaccompanied minor travel when flying. So, can children travel alone by train? How can children's safety be ensured when traveling by train?

A: According to the "Railway Passenger Transport Regulations", children traveling with adults should purchase child discount tickets if they are 6 years old or older but under 14 years old; and purchase full-price tickets if they are 14 years old or older.

It is important to note that parents traveling with children under 6 years old must declare this in advance when purchasing tickets. Each ticketed adult passenger may only bring one child traveling free of charge; additional children must purchase discounted child tickets. Children traveling free of charge cannot use a seat alone; otherwise, a discounted child ticket must be purchased.

Must be accompanied by an adult

When children travel, safety is paramount. The railway authorities do not allow children to travel alone, nor do they offer unaccompanied minor services throughout the journey, primarily for safety reasons.

According to the "Railway Passenger Transport Regulations," children under the age of 14 are not allowed to travel by train alone. This is also evident when purchasing tickets on the 12306 website, which states that children's discounted tickets cannot be purchased separately and must be purchased together with an adult ticket. However, in practice, some people purchase tickets together and then cancel the adult ticket, allowing children to board the train alone. This not only poses a safety risk, but the railway authorities also have the right to refuse unaccompanied travel if discovered.

Provide more convenience

Unlike air travel, which involves enclosed cabins and point-to-point transportation, train travel involves longer journeys, more stops, and greater passenger mobility. Children traveling alone face certain risks, and the limited number of train staff makes one-on-one supervision difficult. Therefore, the railway does not offer unaccompanied minor services, but instead focuses on providing greater convenience for passengers traveling with children, such as ticket checking.

However, not all parents have sufficient time, and the demand for children traveling alone objectively exists. Besides parents coordinating and arranging their schedules, the railway, as a transportation service provider, can also explore more avenues. For example, for short-distance direct routes or for older children, restrictions on children traveling alone could be appropriately relaxed; during peak demand periods such as the beginning and end of holidays, services for unaccompanied children could be provided centrally through designated carriages, convenient passageways, improved registration systems, and clear pick-up and drop-off methods. (Source: Economic Daily)