China warns online travel platforms against automated train ticket programmes

BEIJING, - Chinese authorities summoned seven online platforms selling train tickets including Trip.com, Meituan, Tongcheng and Alibaba's Fliggy, warning the firms against disruptive, automated ticketing programmes.

Companies are "prohibited from using automated programs to conduct large-scale, high-frequency ticket-snatching operations that interfere with the security verification measures" and the normal operation of the official ticket selling system known as "12306", according to a statement released by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Friday (April 10).

China's railway recorded over 4.6 billion passenger trips in 2025, and travellers sometimes turn to software claiming to improve their chances of securing coveted tickets when they fail to book successfully through the official channel, especially during peak travel periods such as the Lunar New Year holiday, the world's largest annual human migration.

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