On August 28, train G116 underwent a temporary rolling stock change, switching from a Fuxing bullet train to a Hexing bullet train. As a result, some passengers who had purchased second-class tickets boarded the train only to find no seats available, forcing them to stand in the aisles and vestibules.
Passenger Ms. Li reported that she had purchased a second-class ticket for train G116 from Changchun West to Shenyang North on August 28, with her seat assigned to row 11 in Car 13. The train originated from Harbin West Station, and the booking information indicated it was a Fuxing bullet train.
The train arrived at Changchun West Station around 15:10, approximately 10 minutes late. Upon boarding, Ms. Li discovered that the arriving train was a Hexing model, and Car 13 actually only had 8 rows of seats. Passengers assigned to row 9 and beyond had no seats available.
She learned from the train conductor that the train had been switched from a Fuxing to a Hexing model right from the starting station, and the different cabin seat layouts resulted in some passengers having no seats.
What upset passengers was the delayed notification. Ms. Li stated that she received no prior warning from the railway department. It wasn't until 15:40, about half an hour after the train had departed, that she received a text message from 12306 offering a full refund, valid until September 26. However, when she contacted 12306 to report the issue, customer service informed her that refunds could not be processed since she had already boarded the train.
It is understood that there are differences in cabin layout between Fuxing and Hexing trains. Second-class cars on Fuxing trains typically have 18–19 rows of seats, while some Hexing models have fewer rows. When the railway department temporarily substitutes a Fuxing train with a Hexing one, passengers whose ticketed seat numbers exceed the actual number of rows in the car face a "ticket but no seat" situation.
This was exactly the case with Car 13 of train G116. The Fuxing ticket showed seat row 11, but the Hexing train actually only had 8 rows.
In response, 12306 customer service stated that seat changes caused by temporary train adjustments are considered operational scheduling matters. Currently, there is no compensation policy, but passengers are usually notified via SMS about seat changes. They can choose to continue their journey in the new seat or request a refund.
However, due to the delay in SMS notifications, some passengers had already boarded without being aware of the change, by which time the refund option was no longer available.
On the 29th, another netizen posted an update stating that they had received a call from the train conductor, apologizing on behalf of the railway department and promising to improve the handling process for such incidents in the future.
