China National Railways
China National Railways (abbr. CNR; 中華民國公有鐵路公司) is a state-owned enterprise that operates railway services under the central government of China, subject to its constitutional mandate to regulate railways spanning two or more provinces.
Fare
CNR's fare structure is based on mileage, class of travel, and added fees for express service. There are certain concessions made for return tickets and preferred travellers, such as children, students, elderly, handicapped, war veterans, certified indigents, etc.
Mileage
In principle, second class is double third class, and first class is double second or quadruple third class. Concessions are only valid against third class fares, e.g., while a holder of a war veteran concession can obtain 50% off third class fare, the same holder must still pay full fare if travelling first class.
| Coach (per km, yuan) | Sleeper (per night) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third class | unpadded | 0.007 | Third class | upper | 6 |
| padded | 0.008 | middle | 7 | ||
| Second class | standard | 0.014 | lower | 8 | |
| recliner | 0.016 | Second class | upper | 12 | |
| AC recliner | 0.018 | lower | 15 | ||
| First class | 0.028 | First class | 30 | ||
Added services
| Service | Surcharge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Express | 25% | Trains nos. 101 – 500 |
| Limited express | 25% | Trains nos. 1 – 100 |
| Seat reservation | 25% | Day trains only |
| Telephone(graph) | 10% | Chargeable on all first-class tickets |
| Parlor car | 50% |
Tax
VAT
- Third class (unpadded coach) tickets are considered necessities and thus are exempt goods under China's value-added tax.
- Third class (padded coach) tickets are subject to the reduced VAT rate of 5%.
- First and second class tickets are subject to the full rate of 20%.
- Sleeper tickets, which must be purchased to utilize a sleeper, are subject to 20% VAT.
- Added services are subject to 20% VAT.
Excise
- First class tickets, coach and sleeper, are further subject to the Excise at 20% excess value compared to the most economical alternative.
- Parlor car ticket is also subject to the Excise.
Stamp Duty
There is a stamp duty per ticket issued, at 0.05 yuan. But the third class (unpadded coach) ticket, once again being deemed a necessity, is not subject to Stamping.
Summation
For example, for a journey from Shanghai to Tihua, Sinkiang, a ticket for first-class sleeper on train no. 37 would be calculated as follows:
- Mileage is 4,130 × 0.028 = 115.64
- Sleeper tickets 3 nights = 90
- Express + limited express service + telephone & telegraph + parlor car 110% surcharge on mileage = 127.204
- 20% VAT on subtotal of 332.844 = 65.57
- 20% Excise on the portion exceeding base fare of 28.91 = 60.781⁄2
- Stamp duty of 0.05 yuan on coach ticket, 3 sleeper tickets, and 1 parlor ticket = 0.25
The entire trip would cost 459.45 yuan (approx. $652.42, as of 2024), after all surcharges and taxes considered. The same journey on third class unpadded coach would cost 28.91 yuan.
Services
Long-distance services are divided into the following categories.
- Peace Limited (和平, ho-ping): 1 and 2 class sleeper rakes, with dining car and parlour car.
- Sightseer Limited (觀光, kwan-kwang): 2 class sleeper rakes, with dining car.
- Reconstruction Limited (復興, fu-shing): 3 class sleeper rakes.
- Equality Express (平等, ping-teng): 3 class chair rakes with reserved seating.
- Liberty Express (自由, dzih-you): 3 class chair rakes with unreserved seating.
Rolling stock
Since the introduction of all-steel coaches in the 1950s, Chinese coaches in practice have usually been manufactured with a common underframe to enhance compatibility. The underframe is developed by the Central Railway Institute and periodically updated. The underframe is 26 m (85 ft) in length is 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) in width.
Day
Passenger day train stock on CNR routes are generally divided into three classes.
First class coaches have bay-style seats flanking the central corridor, with just one seat on either end of the bay. Seats are upholstered in velvet and well-cushioned; an anti-macassar in lace is placed on the headrest. Each bay is around 1,320 mm (4 ft 4 in) per side. First-class coaches have always been air-conditioned since the 1950s.
Second class coaches come in two varieties―bay-style or airline style. Bay-style seats have the same width as first-class seats but accommodate two passeners on each end of the bay, and in airline-style there is a comparable 2+2 seating pattern. There is an armrest between adjacent seats. On newer stock there is a foldable table located in the armrest. Airline-style coaches attract a slightly higher fare because those seats are reclinable. Air conditioning is available on some coaches but not others, and seats in coaches that have AC attract a higher charge; however, operational requirements sometimes require AC coaches to be used in places where non-AC is expected, and in this case passengers will not need to pay AC fares.
Third class coaches always feature bay-style seats at 660 mm (2 ft 2 in) per side. Padded seats are available for a higher fare. Padding in third class is only for the sitting surface and not the seat back, which is bare wood.
Sleeper
Sleeper train stock are also divided into three classes.
First class is provided through private cabins for single of double occupancy. In a single-occupancy room, a spring bed, bedding, pillows, and duvet is present. Unlike the more economical classes, first class bed is not foldable and always open. In the room there is also a small desk, funished with lamp, (approx 70 by 40 cm) and chair. A private lavatory is provided. In case of a double-occupancy room, a second spring bed is provided, but not an extra desk and lavatory. On most rakes that have first-class sleeper, there will also be a parlor car that functions as a sitting area for first-class passengers; this attracts an extra charge that cannot be waived.
Second class is provided with double or quadruple occupancy in couchettes with double-stacked bunks. Thus the upper bunk passenger will need to scale a ladder. The upper bunk is collapsible during daytime, and the lower bunk serves as seats for both the upper and lower bunk passengers. The coach steward issues bedding and pillows at nightfall and collects these in the morning. There is no private lavatory or desk provided in second class.
Third class has 6-people ocupancy couchettes with triple-stacked bunks. The middle bunk collapses during daytime and forms a back cushion for the passengers who are required to sit on the lower bunk during daytime. Third-class bunks are less padded than second-class ones, and bedding is provided for an extra fee. There is also no private lavatory or desk in third class.