For mainland China trains, pack within both the free weight allowance and the size limit for your service. Most passengers carry their own bags through security and onto the train; a passenger ticket should not be treated as an airline-style checked-baggage booking. Security restrictions are a separate test: a small bag can still contain something prohibited.
The figures below were checked against 12306’s Chinese-language luggage page and direct restricted-items catalogue on 8 September 2026. They concern mainland railway travel, not Hong Kong cross-boundary services or flights. Do not use a rule from one transport system as proof of what another permits.
Free weight allowance and suitcase dimensions
The 12306 luggage page lists a free allowance of 10 kg for children, including those travelling free; 35 kg for diplomats; and 20 kg for other passengers. A single item may not exceed 20 kg.
Measure length, width and height and add them together:
- On EMU services, each item’s combined dimensions must not exceed 130 cm.
- On ordinary non-EMU services, the combined limit is 160 cm.
- Rod-shaped items on ordinary services may be up to 200 cm long; that exception does not replace the EMU limit.
The same page excludes folding baby strollers used by accompanying infants and qualifying folding wheelchairs used by passengers who need mobility assistance from the stated allowance. Do not turn that wording into an exemption for every bulky item or every wheeled device.
Check your actual train type, not just the station you are using. The China high-speed rail guide provides broader network context; the official luggage figures remain the packing test.
Check the bag before the station
Measure the packed bag rather than estimating from a product name such as “medium suitcase.” A size label from a shop does not establish compliance with the railway’s summed-dimension rule. Include fixed protruding parts when making a cautious measurement, then ask the operator if you are uncertain about an unusually shaped item.
Weigh the combined bags against your allowance and check that you can handle them. Official size compliance does not guarantee an empty rack next to your seat. Pack valuables and the booking ID where you can reach them without unpacking everything.
An oversized or overweight item may be refused. Do not plan on paying an unspecified excess fee at the gate as a guaranteed way aboard. If you need to send a large item separately, confirm the available service, acceptance conditions and delivery arrangements before travel.
Power banks: the rail limit is not an airline rule
The direct 12306 restricted-items catalogue, effective from 1 July 2022 and still linked from its notices page when checked, permits clearly marked power banks and lithium batteries with rated energy no greater than 100 Wh per unit. It includes an exception for lithium batteries in electric wheelchairs.
Keep the rating readable. A marketing capacity label alone is not a reason to ignore the stated watt-hour limit. If you cannot establish that the label meets the rule, ask 12306 before travelling instead of relying on a guess at security.
This railway catalogue is not evidence of an aviation certification requirement. If your journey also includes a flight, check the airline and aviation rules separately. Compliance for one leg does not establish compliance for the next.
Toiletries, aerosols and alcohol
The catalogue does not impose one general airport-style 100 ml rule on all drinks and toiletries. It distinguishes categories:
| Item category | Stated restriction |
|---|---|
| Non-pressurised personal-care products with flammable ingredients, such as specified perfumes or gels | Container capacity up to 100 ml, one of each type |
| Pressurised products such as hairspray, mousse or air freshener | Up to 150 ml per container, one of each type, 600 ml combined |
| Nail polish and remover | 50 ml combined |
| Sealed, clearly labelled alcoholic beverages from 24% through 70% alcohol | 3,000 ml combined |
Do not apply the beverage allowance to an unlabelled bottle or assume that all liquids called “hair products” fall into the same category. Packaging, ingredients and pressure matter. The official catalogue is the source for these limits; check it for anything unusual or for a later notice affecting your trip.
For ordinary packing choices beyond regulated items, use the China packing list. Leaving an unnecessary spray at home is simpler than deciding its category in the screening queue.
Prohibited items and security decisions
The catalogue separates items prohibited both as carry-on and consigned luggage from items prohibited as carry-on but potentially eligible for consignment. Firearms, imitations, explosives and controlled weapons are among the strict prohibitions. Some ordinary tools and blades have category-specific rules; do not reduce the entire list to “all sharp objects are treated identically.”
If you are carrying a work tool, blade or other unusual item, check its exact category and the operator’s service before departure. A consignment category does not mean that a convenient shipping counter will be available at your station or accept the item immediately.
Do not hide something you are unsure about or assume staff will store it until you return. Ask what lawful options are available. This guide makes no universal promise about confiscation, storage, return or replacement of items stopped at security.
Boarding, stowing bags and the booking ID
Keep the original identity document used for booking accessible. For many foreign visitors that is a passport, but use the document attached to your actual ticket. The 12306 booking guide explains the booking workflow.
Place luggage in the space provided on your train and follow staff instructions; rack layouts vary by carriage and service. Avoid blocking doors or aisles, and keep valuables with you. The overnight sleeper-train guide covers the different berth context.
Allow time for checks and movement through the station. The 12306 passenger regulations require stations to announce their advance boarding cut-off; do not use departure time as the time to reach security.
Storage and separately transported luggage
Left-luggage storage and consignment solve different problems. Storage keeps a bag at a location you will return to; it does not move that bag to your destination. A separate delivery or railway service needs its own acceptance and collection arrangements.
Before using storage, check opening hours, collection deadlines, item restrictions and the receipt. If you are continuing to another city, confirm how the bag will actually reach you rather than leaving it behind on an assumption. The luggage storage guide covers the planning questions.
Frequently asked questions
How much luggage can I bring on a China train?
12306 lists 20 kg free for other passengers, 10 kg for children including those travelling free, and 35 kg for diplomats. Each item is limited to 20 kg. Size restrictions apply separately: 130 cm combined dimensions on EMUs, 160 cm on ordinary services.
Can I bring a power bank on a mainland train?
The checked catalogue permits clearly marked units up to 100 Wh each, with its stated electric-wheelchair exception. Check later railway notices before travel and assess any flight separately.
Is every liquid limited to 100 ml?
No. The catalogue distinguishes flammable non-pressurised products, aerosols, nail products and alcoholic beverages. The table above summarises those categories; it is not a blanket limit for every liquid.
Can I pay extra to take an oversized bag aboard?
Do not rely on that. A bag may be refused, and separately transported luggage requires its own arrangements. Check before reaching the station with the item.
Before you go
Measure, weigh and review the contents as three separate checks. Keep the correct booking ID accessible, use the stated limit for your train type, and settle any storage or shipping need in advance. That gives you a clearer plan than assuming airline baggage habits apply on the railway.
