Railway ticket prices to vary with demand

The national railway operator said it will adjust bullet train ticket prices on six railway lines according to passenger numbers starting from July 5, and the discounts will reach up to 35 percent.

The discounted fares will be on certain high-speed railway services that run at 200 to 250 km per hour, including Hefei to Wuhan, Wuhan to Yichang, Guiyang to Guangzhou, Liuzhou to Nanjing and Nanjing to Hangzhou, China Railway Corp said.

Railway companies will set a maximum price, and sell discounted tickets depending on the season, time, seat and the number of stations in between. Ticket prices will fluctuate.

According to China Railway Corp, the change is a result of pricing procedures that flexibly adjust to the market and serve passengers' various needs. Railway departments will take market need, railway construction cost and passenger demand into consideration to draw up the price discounts.

Railway departments will increase oversight in ticket fare management and improve operation and service quality, the company said.

Last year, some high-speed trains in southeastern coastal areas raised ticket prices. In 2016, the National Development and Reform Commission issued a notice easing adjustments to bullet train ticket prices. State-owned railway companies can determine ticket fares, the notice said.

Before then, the cost of railway tickets was determined by a base price multiplied by distance. Railway ticket prices had not changed for 20 years.

China's railway will also adjust its operating plan from July 1, the second time this year. Weekends will have an additional 386 trains. During peak hours, 728 trains will be added. The purpose is to balance supply with demand, to fulfill the different needs during weekdays, weekends, long weekends, summer vacations and the Spring Festival travel rush.

When the new operating plan is in place, bullet trains between Nanjing and Wuhan, Liuzhou and Nanning will run at 250 km/h and necessary adjustments will be made.