Fees charged for returning tickets will also be changed. Passengers will be charged a rate equal to 5 percent of their ticket's price if they return the ticket 48 hours or earlier before the train's departure. A 10-percent rate will be charged if a return occurs within 48 hours leading to the departure but 24 hours before it. A return within 24 hours before departure is subject to a 20-percent rate.

Currently, stations charge a 5-percent rate on ticket returns.

The China Railway Corp said its new adjustments were created to make up for the short supply in tickets during peak holiday periods, such as Spring Festival and the National Day holidays. During these holidays, many passengers purchase a large amount of tickets with different departures and different classes of seats to find the most suitable time for their trips.

Statistics from the company shows 73.5 percent of returns occurred within 24 hours before the train's departure and only 14.8 percent were done 48 hours or earlier.

Allowing passengers to return tickets at any station will also help to alleviate stress on train services during peak periods. But the changes, which China Railway Corp insists are intended to benefit passengers, sparked mixed reactions from the public.

During this year's session of the National People's Congress in March, the Ministry of Railways, established in 1949, was dismantled. Its administrative functions were absorbed by the Ministry of Transport, while the China Railway Corp took over its commercial functions.