According to media reports on August 10th， some netizens have encountered issues purchasing tickets for specific “slow train” tourist special trains on the 12306 platform， including the “New Southern Express Xiaoxiang Hao” and “Silver Age Tourist Special Train”.
These tourist special trains are designed to cater to specific travel scenarios， often utilizing the traditional green-painted carriages， with single-journey travel times frequently exceeding five hours. This operational model， while offering a nostalgic travel experience， inherently differs from standard public transport.
Responding to these inquiries， a representative from the 12306 National Railway Customer Service Center explained that such tourist special trains are generally operated by travel companies. Their nature is akin to organized group tours， which accounts for why their tickets are not directly available for purchase on the 12306 platform.
The representative further clarified that the 12306 platform is currently limited to selling pure train transportation tickets. In contrast， tourist special train products encompass a comprehensive package of travel itinerary arrangements and additional value-added services. “Any train journey that includes sightseeing activities can only be purchased through travel agencies，” the staff member stated.
A manager from a travel agency echoed this sentiment， noting that tourist special trains typically feature fixed stopovers for sightseeing and organize relevant activities onboard. He emphasized， “Tourist special trains are essentially a form of charter service， and their tickets (or travel products) are exclusively sold through partnered offline travel agencies or online travel platforms.” This specialized distribution channels ensures that the integrated services and logistical arrangements can be effectively managed for each trip.
