Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the importance of using the official railway ticketing platform 12306 during the Spring Festival travel season, warning against fraudulent ticket purchasing services that misrepresent free features as paid services [2][4]. Group 1: Spring Festival Ticket Sales - The sale of train tickets for the 2026 Spring Festival began on January 19, with the travel period starting from February 2 to March 13, lasting 40 days [8]. - The national railway is expected to transport 539 million passengers during this period, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.0% [8]. - Peak travel days are anticipated on February 13 (pre-festival) and February 23 (post-festival) [8]. Group 2: Regulatory Actions and Consumer Warnings - Beijing's market regulatory authorities fined a platform 500,000 yuan for false advertising related to ticket purchasing services, which misled consumers into paying for services that were essentially free features of the 12306 platform [2]. - Consumers are advised to submit their ticket orders directly through the official 12306 platform and to be cautious of paid acceleration schemes [4]. Group 3: New Services for Travelers - Starting January 19, a limited-time free refund service for mistakenly purchased tickets will be available for tickets bought for travel dates from February 2 onwards, allowing refunds without fees if processed within 30 minutes of purchase [9]. - The "quiet carriage" service will be expanded to include more train types, increasing the number of trains offering this service to over 8,000 [9]. - The 12306 platform will continue to support student ticket reservations and has introduced additional benefits for graduating students, allowing for more discounted ticket purchases [9].

Core Viewpoint - The 2026 Spring Festival travel season in China is expected to see a total of 539 million passenger trips, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.0% from the previous year, with peak travel days identified before and after the festival [1]. Group 1: Travel Schedule and Passenger Volume - The Spring Festival travel period will run from February 2 to March 13, 2026, lasting for 40 days [1]. - The national railway anticipates sending 539 million passengers during this period, with a peak travel day expected on February 13 (the 26th day of the lunar month) before the festival and February 23 (the 7th day of the lunar month) after the festival [1]. Group 2: New Services and Features - Starting January 19, a limited-time free refund service for mistakenly purchased tickets will be available, allowing passengers to self-process refunds within 30 minutes of purchase and more than 4 hours before departure without incurring fees [5]. - From February 1, the "quiet carriage" service will expand to include more train types, increasing the number of trains offering this service to over 8,000 [5]. - The railway 12306 app will continue to support student ticket reservations, with an additional two one-way discounted tickets for the 2026 graduating class, allowing a total of six discounted purchases for the academic year [5]. - A new service for migrant workers to reserve tickets through the 12306 app has been launched, allowing verified workers to book tickets for travel between February 2 and March 13 [5].

Core Viewpoint - The 2026 Spring Festival travel season in China will begin on February 2 and end on March 13, with a total of 40 days, during which the national railway is expected to transport 539 million passengers, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.0% [3]. Group 1: Ticket Sales and Travel Dates - Train tickets for the Spring Festival travel season will start selling on January 19 [3]. - The peak travel day before the festival is expected to be February 13, while the peak day after the festival is anticipated to be February 23 [3]. Group 2: New Services and Initiatives - Starting January 19, a limited-time free refund service for mistakenly purchased tickets will be available, allowing passengers to cancel tickets purchased for travel dates from February 2 onwards within 30 minutes of payment and more than 4 hours before departure without incurring a fee [3]. - From February 1, the "quiet carriage" service will be expanded to include more train types, increasing the number of trains offering this service to over 8,000 [3]. - The railway 12306 app will continue to support student ticket reservations, with an additional two one-way discounted tickets available for the 2026 graduating class, allowing a total of six discounted purchases this academic year [3]. Group 3: Special Services for Workers - A reservation service for migrant workers has been launched on the railway 12306 app, allowing verified workers to book tickets for travel between February 2 and March 13 from January 14 to February 26 [4].