Core Viewpoint - The railway department is enhancing services for elderly passengers and introducing new features for ticket purchasing and travel experience during the 2026 Spring Festival travel season [1] Group 1: Elderly Passenger Services - The railway department has launched a telephone ticket booking service specifically for elderly passengers, allowing them to book tickets for travel dates from February 2 and onwards, with a pre-sale period of at least three days before departure [1] - An artificial seat arrangement has been established to assist elderly travelers in selecting and booking tickets, with options for online or offline payment [1] Group 2: Ticket Refund Policy - The railway 12306 platform is offering a limited-time free refund service for passengers who mistakenly purchase tickets due to time constraints or operational errors, allowing refunds without fees if requested within 30 minutes of payment and more than four hours before departure [1] Group 3: Quiet Carriage Services - The railway department is promoting quiet carriage services during the Spring Festival, expanding this service to over 8,000 trains, excluding sleeper trains, starting from February 1 [1] - Trains equipped for quiet carriages will lower or mute announcements, and measures such as prominent signage and silent video prompts will be used to encourage a quiet environment [1] - In quiet carriages, sales promotions are prohibited, and staff will provide services in a low-volume manner [1]

Core Viewpoint - The railway department will expand the "silent carriage" service to include D and G series trains starting February 1, increasing the total number of trains offering this service to over 8,000 [2][3] Group 1: Service Expansion - The "silent carriage" service, which began as a pilot in December 2020, will now be available on D and G series trains, excluding sleeper trains [3] - The service aims to enhance travel experience by providing a quieter environment, with specific guidelines for passenger behavior to maintain silence [2][3] Group 2: Implementation Details - Trains with "silent carriage" will be marked with a "silent" label on the railway 12306 ticketing platform, requiring passengers to agree to silence terms before purchasing tickets [2] - Passengers are expected to adhere to specific rules, such as keeping electronic devices on silent, avoiding loud conversations, and managing children to prevent noise [2][3] Group 3: Passenger Options - Passengers can choose to purchase tickets for the newly added "silent carriage" service through the railway 12306 platform, with an option to prioritize allocation of seats in the silent carriage [3] - The service will include designated silent carriages in various configurations based on the train type, allowing more passengers to experience the benefits of a quieter travel environment [3]