RAILWAY authorities have rolled out new discounted multi-ride ticket packages on 12 key routes — including four serving Shenzhen — offering passengers substantially lower fares the more they travel.

The four lines that serve Shenzhen are the Nanchang–Shenzhen section of the Beijing–Hong Kong High-speed Railway, the Xiamen–Shenzhen High-speed Railway, the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link, and the Guangzhou–Shenzhen Intercity Railway (Shenzhen–Guangzhou Baiyun).

The new products come in two formats, count-based and period passes, according to China Railway Guangzhou Group.

Count-based options, such as “10 rides in 90 days” and “20 rides in 90 days” passes, give a 10% discount and allow up to 10 future journeys to be reserved in advance.

Period passes are offered in 11 frequency tiers. For example, the “10 rides in 30 days” pass delivers a 15% discount, and the “60 rides in 30 days” pass reduces the fare to as little as 62% of the normal price.

A daily commuter on the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link who buys the “60 rides in 30 days” pass would see the single-trip fare between Shenzhen North and Guangzhou South fall from 74.5 yuan (US$10.4) to 50.6 yuan, saving up to 1,434 yuan over a month.

Unlike conventional single-journey tickets, the passes let holders travel on any qualifying train on the route within the validity window, either by reserving a seat in advance or by swiping their ID card at the gate.

For seat reservations, up to 10 unused trips can be booked in advance. If a passenger chooses to board by swiping the ID, this is only possible when seats are available; in that case, the assigned seat number will be sent to the passenger’s registered mobile phone.

Passes must be activated within 30 days of purchase. Once activated, count-based passes are valid for 90 days and period passes for 30. A passenger may hold multiple passes for different routes simultaneously, but no more than two passes for the same route, and the first pass must be activated before buying a second for the same route. Cancelling a reserved seat before departure is free, but failing to cancel counts as one ride. (Tang Li)

What are count-based and period passes?

THEY are flexible rail products that break the traditional rule of traveling only on the date and train printed on a ticket. Within their validity periods, holders may board any qualifying train on the route, subject to reservation and seat-availability rules.