The railway electronic invoice service will be optimized and a new function will be added for ticket purchasers to issue invoices for passengers.

China News Service, November 10. According to the "China Railway" Weibo news, starting from December 1, the railway department will optimize passenger electronic invoice services. Based on the existing functions and services, Railway 12306 (website and mobile client, the same below) has added the function of issuing electronic invoices to passengers online, and added a white background electronic invoice style to further clarify the issuance and delivery entities. Electronic invoices will be more convenient and faster to obtain, which will effectively improve the passenger ticket purchase and travel experience.

Image source: "China Railway" Weibo

Since the full use of electronic invoices in the national railway passenger transport field on October 1, 2025, the operation has been good. It has achieved positive results in facilitating passenger travel, saving financial costs, and improving management levels, and has been generally recognized by passengers. In the work of electronic invoice services, the railway department has always adhered to the passenger-centered approach, paid attention to listening to the opinions and suggestions of the public, and carefully studied improvement measures together with the State Administration of Taxation to further optimize and improve related functions and services to better adapt to the diverse ticket purchase and travel needs of passengers. On November 5, the State Administration of Taxation and China Railway Group jointly issued the "Announcement on Matters Related to Further Optimizing Comprehensive Digital Electronic Invoices in the Field of Railway Passenger Transport" (State Administration of Taxation China Railway Group Co., Ltd. Announcement No. 22 of 2026), deciding to optimize the electronic invoice services for railway passenger transport starting from December 1, 2026, mainly including the following contents:

First, there is a new function for ticket purchasers to issue electronic invoices to passengers online. After the ticket purchaser handles the ticket purchase, refund and change business for passengers through Railway 12306, within 180 days from the end of the trip or the date of refund or change business, the ticket purchaser can issue an electronic invoice to the passenger online in the Railway 12306 "Electronic Invoice" service area. At the same time, the original offline processing channels such as station ticket windows and self-service ticket machines will be retained. Obtaining electronic invoices will be more convenient and faster.

Second, a new electronic invoice format for railway passenger transportation has been added. In view of the need of some passengers to print electronic invoices for reimbursement, in order to improve the recognition of printed invoices, a white background style has been added to the railway passenger electronic invoices, and the face elements of the tickets remain unchanged. At the same time, electronic invoices in blue background style will continue to be provided. Passengers, ticket buyers, and agents (only refers to passengers who handle refunds and changes at ticket windows and automatic ticket machines at stations, third parties other than passengers and ticket buyers, the same below) can choose according to their needs.

The third is to clarify the issuance and delivery entities of railway passenger electronic invoices. The announcement clearly stipulates that transportation companies affiliated to China Railway Group, non-holding joint ventures and local railway companies are the entities responsible for the issuance and delivery of electronic invoices for railway passenger transport. Any third-party platforms and individuals involved in the railway ticket sales business are not allowed to provide issuance, delivery, downloading and other services of electronic invoices for railway passenger transport. Railway 12306 is the only official train ticket online ticketing platform of China Railway and the only formal channel to provide electronic invoices for railway passenger transportation. It has never cooperated with any third-party platform organization. In order to protect the rights and interests of taxpayers, passengers must purchase tickets and issue electronic invoices through formal channels.

Electronic invoices (railway electronic tickets) are receipts and payments reimbursement vouchers issued by railway transport enterprises in the form of data messages to service purchasers (which can be individuals or enterprises or institutions) in accordance with the regulations of the tax authorities after handling domestic passenger transport ticket sales, refunds, and reissues. They have the same legal effect as paper invoices and can be used as vouchers for VAT deductions and reimbursements. Passengers, ticket purchasers or agents can apply for the issuance of electronic invoices through Railway 12306, station ticket windows or automatic ticket vending machines after the trip is completed or the ticket refund or change is processed. Railway passenger electronic invoices should be issued within 180 days from the end of the trip or the date of refund or change of ticket. Only one electronic invoice can be issued for one trip. If the invoice information is incorrectly filled in, the company information changes, etc., you can apply for three replacements within the issuance time limit.

In order to facilitate the elderly, disconnected people and other passenger groups who are inconvenient to operate online to obtain electronic invoices, the railway department continues to maintain offline electronic invoice application channels. Passengers can apply for an electronic invoice at the station ticket window or automatic ticket vending machine with the valid ID of the passenger used when purchasing the ticket. After obtaining the "scan code invoice", you or entrust others to use 12306 App to scan the QR code on the "scan code invoice", complete the relevant information according to the needs and pass the verification before the electronic invoice can be issued.

The railway department is carrying out work such as optimization and testing of the passenger electronic invoice business system and debugging of self-service equipment. For the detailed business process of issuing electronic railway passenger invoices, passengers can follow Railway 12306, station announcements and the official Weibo and WeChat public accounts of "China Railway" for more information.