Home

CHINA RAILWAY LOST PROPERTY

Lost Something on a Train in China? How to Use 12306

Updated 5 September 2026

If you leave a phone, bag, passport or another item on a mainland China train or at a railway station, act quickly and keep your journey details. China Railway provides official lost-property search and registration services through 12306. This guide explains the official route and the information that makes a report easier to match.

Official contact details · China Railway / 12306

Official website
Open website ↗
Lost-property phone
12306Official customer service (not a dedicated lost-property line)
Service hours
Please check the official page for the latest information.
Last verified
Official source 1 ↗Official source 2 ↗

Start with the official 12306 route

The official 12306 lost-property page lets travelers check notices by train or station and date. If a listing appears to match, 12306 instructs travelers to call railway customer service for a claim inquiry. If there is no match, register the missing item and monitor the report status.

12306.cn ↗

What to do, step by step

  1. 01

    Tell railway staff immediately

    If you are still on the train or in the station, tell a conductor, platform employee, service desk or lost-property office. Large stations generally have a lost-property desk.

  2. 02

    Save the exact journey details

    Keep the travel date, train number, departure and arrival stations, carriage, seat, ticket or booking record, and the last place and time you clearly remember having the item.

  3. 03

    Search the official notices

    Use the 12306 lost-property search by train or by station. Select the date and item category, then compare the holding station and description without assuming a similar-looking item is yours.

  4. 04

    Register the item if there is no match

    Registered 12306 users may submit a report for themselves or their listed passengers. A nonregistered traveler can register first or use railway customer service. Describe the location and item in detail.

  5. 05

    Keep the report details and follow up

    Save screenshots and any report or holding reference. If a notice matches, contact 12306 for claim guidance. Ask the actual holding station to confirm identification, collection, transfer and deadline requirements before making travel or shipping arrangements.

Information to prepare

  • ✓ Travel date and train number
  • ✓ Departure and arrival stations
  • ✓ Carriage, seat and ticket or booking record
  • ✓ Where and when the item was last seen
  • ✓ Item type, brand, model, color, size and distinctive marks
  • ✓ A private list of contents or device identifiers
  • ✓ A reliable email and reachable phone or WhatsApp number

Already left China?

You can still search and register online. The difficult part may be Chinese-language follow-up, local identification or collection arrangements. First confirm where the item is held and what that office requires. If you need local Chinese assistance, submit your details for a free review; paid work begins only after you approve the plan and payment.

Choose your next step

Official phone numbers & websites

Choose the actual operator, airline or province. These checked references are neither a national lost-property database nor an exhaustive company list.

Domestic numbers retain their published format. From abroad, ordinary landlines generally use +86 with the initial 0 of the area code removed. Short codes, 95/96 and 400 numbers may not connect overseas. Confirm availability, languages and hours with the organization. Public sources were checked; the numbers were not test-called.

Sources checked:

High-speed & conventional trains (18)

High-speed and conventional trains share the 12306 system. These are regional railway customer-service centers, not lost-property offices at stations with the same name. Provide train, date and stations to identify the responsible office.

Official sources checked

This independent practical guide summarizes the following China Railway 12306 pages, checked on 5 September 2026. Official pages and the holding station’s current instructions take priority.

  1. 12306 lost-property search ↗
  2. 12306 lost-property service instructions ↗
  3. 12306 lost-property FAQ ↗

Need help following up in Chinese?

Send your route and item details for a free initial review. We will reply before any paid service begins.

Submit train or metro details →