The incident, previously rumored online, where a passenger bought multiple tickets just to reserve seats for snacks, has continued to escalate, sparking widespread discussion across the internet. Many netizens have been debating whether this practice, which appears compliant on the surface but actually infringes upon the rights of standing passengers, is problematic. Now, China Railway has issued a very clear final verdict: as long as the ticket holder does not check their ticket and board the train, they are considered to have voluntarily forfeited the right to use the corresponding seat. Others have no authority to occupy or dispose of this empty seat.
Previously, Southwest Railway issued an official statement regarding this incident. The event occurred on August 16 on train K1156 from Shanghai to Chengdu West. At that time, three passengers purchased three hard-seat tickets for carriage No. 6. After two of them checked in and boarded the train normally, they placed a pile of snacks on seat No. 006, which corresponded to the third passenger who had not checked in or boarded. They occupied the seat and refused to yield it to standing passengers in need. Negotiations between the parties failed to reach an agreement throughout the process, and the matter was eventually escalated to the train staff.
According to the official stance of the railway department, if a passenger pays for a ticket but does not check in and board the train, they are directly considered to have voluntarily forfeited the right to use the seat on that train. Third parties accompanying them also have no authority to occupy or dispose of the empty seat. Regarding the issue of untimely and inadequate handling by the train staff at the time, the railway department has also formally apologized to the standing passengers involved.
In the aftermath of the incident, many netizens searched for relevant regulations to support the official verdict. Relevant provisions of the Civil Code clearly stipulate that passengers shall travel according to the time, schedule, and seat number recorded on valid tickets. If a passenger cannot travel at the time specified on the ticket due to their own reasons, they must process ticket refunds or changes within the agreed timeframe. If they fail to do so within the deadline, the carrier may refuse to refund the ticket price and will no longer bear the corresponding transportation obligations.
The Regulations on Railway Passenger Transport issued by the Ministry of Transport also explicitly require that railway transport enterprises shall transport passengers according to the time, train number, carriage number, class, and seat number recorded on valid tickets. Passengers themselves must also travel according to the corresponding information indicated on their valid tickets and have no right to transfer their seats to items or other people who are not on the train.
At the same time, the Measures for the Administration of Real-Name System for Railway Passenger Tickets clearly state that ticket purchasers must buy tickets using the valid identification documents of the passengers. Railway transport enterprises are required to verify the consistency of the identity information recorded on real-name tickets with the passengers themselves and their valid identification documents. Naturally, anyone other than the person named on the ticket does not have the qualification to use the corresponding real-name seat.
In addition, the Railway Passenger Transport Rules of the China State Railway Group further clarify that the moment a passenger completes payment and purchases a ticket, a passenger transport service contract is formally established with the carrier railway enterprise. Only at the moment the passenger checks their ticket and boards the train do they formally enjoy the right to use the corresponding seat.
After the train departs, passengers who did not have time to check in and board can still enjoy the right to change their tickets to other trains departing before 24:00 on the same day free of charge, which amounts to a compliant transfer of their unused seat rights.
This official clarification of the rules directly closes the gray area previously exploited by some individuals who bought multiple tickets to hoard seats, occupy them with luggage or personal belongings, and thereby appropriate public transportation resources. Seats on public trains are essentially public service resources intended for traveling passengers. Even if a ticket is purchased, if the holder is not present to check in, the vacant seat should be made available to other passengers in need. The act of hoarding public service resources by spending money is itself contrary to the original intent of public transportation.