Quirky variables vex online ticket buyers

Foreign travelers run up against computer limitations and overly picky station agents

Some foreigners have encountered difficulties buying train tickets in China due to a new ID verification policy, Chinese media reported.

"Many of my foreign clients have had problems when they went to collect the tickets they booked on 12306.cn, the booking website run by China Railway Corp, since the new rule took effect," Helen Xie, an employee for China DIY Travel, told Beijing Youth Daily.