Rail service hotline expands role beyond passenger inquiries

China's railway service hotline has evolved beyond a channel for answering travel questions, becoming an important source of passenger feedback that helps improve services, a frontline railway worker said on Thursday.

Wang Ying, an employee at the customer service department of the Beijing Railway Customer Service Center, said her job is to answer calls on the 12306 railway service hotline and help passengers resolve travel problems.

Speaking at a media briefing titled "Forging Ahead on the New Journey" held by the State Council Information Office, Wang said she has answered more than 250,000 calls over the past 13 years and helped resolve over 24,000 travel-related issues. The passenger satisfaction rate for her service has reached 99.5 percent.

"Although we do not meet passengers face to face, we are still helping protect their journeys," she said.

Wang said she handles more than 200 calls a day, with each call reflecting a different passenger need. Beyond resolving urgent problems, she also collects and analyzes passenger feedback and submits suggestions to help improve railway services.

Her frontline feedback has helped accelerate the rollout of measures such as a senior-friendly version of the 12306 platform, online seat selection and free refunds for tickets purchased by mistake. She has also participated in seven rounds of upgrades to the railway customer service system.

Wang said one major change she has witnessed is the expansion of China's railway network. The country's operating railway mileage has reached 165,000 kilometers, including more than 50,000 km of high-speed rail, offering passengers more travel options.

She recalled helping a man during last year's summer travel rush who urgently needed to return to Changchun to see his seriously ill mother but could not find a direct ticket. Wang checked timetables station by station and worked out a transfer route that enabled him to return the same day.

She said railway passenger services have also become more people-centered, with measures such as waitlist ticketing, quiet carriages and electronic invoices. More personalized services, including pet transport on high-speed trains and carriage of ski equipment and bicycles, have also been introduced.

Passenger needs are also changing, Wang said. In the past, callers often asked whether tickets were available. Now, more ask which trains are Fuxing bullet trains or which services are faster.

"People not only want to travel, but also want to travel better," she said.