Starting May 29, the railway department’s “Off-peak Midweek Ticket Discount Service for Elderly Passengers” officially took effect. Which trains offer discounts? How can elderly passengers purchase discounted tickets?
Logging into the railway 12306 website, some train services are already marked with a green “Respect” symbol. Passengers aged 60 and above purchasing tickets for these trains will see “Senior Discount” displayed on their order and ticket pages. Eligible passengers can enjoy an additional discount on top of existing offers.
For travel during the “midweek” period from Monday noon to Friday noon, a 10% discount on the actual fare of bullet train tickets is offered. Eligible elderly passengers can also combine this with discounts for other preferential groups, such as disabled military personnel, for a further reduction.
The “midweek” period refers to tickets for travel between Monday noon and Friday noon, allowing for a stacked discount. Note that the discount does not apply during the peak Dragon Boat Festival travel period from June 18 to 22.
How much can eligible elderly passengers save by purchasing tickets marked with the “Respect” symbol? For a bullet train ticket originally priced at 100 yuan, an eligible elderly passenger only needs to pay 90 yuan. If the passenger also holds a disabled military personnel certificate, they can enjoy an additional 10% discount on the already discounted price, paying just 81 yuan.