About 12306
12306 is a command-line skill for querying China Railway schedules and remaining tickets. It is intended for travelers planning routes and offers station lookup, filtering options, and HTML, Markdown, or JSON output.
Key features
- 01Query train schedules and remaining tickets
- 02Filter by date, train type, and time
- 03Filter by seat type and availability
- 04Look up station names
- 05Export as HTML, Markdown, or JSON
Use cases
- 01Find trains for a specific travel date
- 02Filter bookable trains within a time range
- 03Check the exact station in a city
- 04Verify station details for transfer segments
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/ / github.com/ kirorab/ 12306-skill --skill 12306After installing, type/12306in Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled files
References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.
README.md.gitignorescripts/query.mjsstations.mjsDetails
From the project README12306 Train Query
Query train schedules and remaining tickets from China Railway 12306.
Query Tickets
node {baseDir}/scripts/query.mjs <from> <to> [options]
- HTML mode (default): writes file, prints path to stdout
- Markdown mode (
-f md): prints table to stdout
Examples
# All trains from Beijing to Shanghai (defaults to today)
node {baseDir}/scripts/query.mjs 北京 上海
# Markdown table output (to stdout, good for chat)
node {baseDir}/scripts/query.mjs 北京 上海 -t G -f md
# Morning departures, 2h max, with second class available
node {baseDir}/scripts/query.mjs 上海 杭州 -t G --depart 06:00-12:00 --max-duration 1h --seat ze
# Only bookable trains arriving before 6pm
node {baseDir}/scripts/query.mjs 深圳 长沙 --available --arrive -18:00
# Custom output path
node {baseDir}/scripts/query.mjs 广州 武汉 -o /tmp/tickets.html
# JSON output (to stdout)
node {baseDir}/scripts/query.mjs 广州 武汉 --json
Options
-d, --date <YYYY-MM-DD>: Travel date (default: today)-t, --type <G|D|Z|T|K>: Filter train types (combinable, e.g.GD)--depart <HH:MM-HH:MM>: Depart time range (e.g.08:00-12:00,18:00-)--arrive <HH:MM-HH:MM>: Arrive time range (e.g.-18:00,14:00-20:00)--max-duration <duration>: Max travel time (e.g.2h,90m,1h30m)--available: Only show bookable trains--seat <types>: Only show trains with tickets for given seat types (comma-separated:swz,zy,ze,rw,dw,yw,yz,wz)-f, --format <html|md>: Output format —html(default, saves file) ormd(markdown table to stdout)-o, --output <path>: Output file path, html mode only (default:{baseDir}/data/<from>-<to>-<date>.html)--json: Output raw JSON to stdout
Output Columns
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 商务/特等 | Business class / Premium (swz) |
| 一等座 | First class (zy) |
| 二等座 | Second class (ze) |
| 软卧/动卧 | Soft sleeper / Bullet sleeper (rw/dw) |
| 硬卧 | Hard sleeper (yw) |
| 硬座 | Hard seat (yz) |
| 无座 | Standing (wz) |
Values: number = remaining seats, 有 = available (qty unknown), — = not applicable
Station Lookup
node {baseDir}/scripts/stations.mjs 杭州
node {baseDir}/scripts/stations.mjs 香港西九龙
Important Notes for AI Assistant
⚠️ Station Name Resolution Warning
CRITICAL: When querying by city name (e.g., "武汉", "上海", "深圳", "广州"), the API may return trains from/to ANY station in that city, not just the main station.
Common Pitfalls:
- 武汉 includes: 武汉站 (main), 汉口站 (Hankou), 武昌站 (Wuchang), 武汉东站
- 上海 includes: 上海虹桥 (Hongqiao), 上海站 (main), 上海南站, 上海松江站
- 深圳 includes: 深圳北站 (main), 深圳站 (Luohu), 福田站, 深圳东站
- 广州 includes: 广州南站 (main), 广州站, 广州东站, 广州北站
Best Practice - Always verify exact stations:
- First, use
stations.mjsto list all stations in the city:node {baseDir}/scripts/stations.mjs 武汉 - Then, query with exact station names for accurate results:
node {baseDir}/scripts/query.mjs 武汉 上海虹桥 -f md
🔄 Transfer/Connection Guidelines
When planning transfers (中转):
- Use JSON output (
--json) to verify exact station names - Ensure both segments use the SAME station (e.g., both use 武汉站, not 武汉→汉口)
- Recommended minimum transfer time: 20-30 minutes for same station
- Different stations in same city require additional travel time (e.g., 武汉→汉口 = 30+ min by subway)
📋 Query Workflow Recommendation
For accurate results, follow this workflow:
-
List stations in departure city:
node {baseDir}/scripts/stations.mjs 北京 -
List stations in arrival city:
node {baseDir}/scripts/stations.mjs 上海 -
Query with exact station names (e.g., 北京南 → 上海虹桥):
node {baseDir}/scripts/query.mjs 北京南 上海虹桥 -d 2026-03-05 -f md -
For transfers: Always verify both segments use the same station by checking
fromStationandtoStationin JSON output.
Technical Notes
- Data comes directly from 12306 official API (no key needed)
- Station data is cached for 7 days in
{baseDir}/data/stations.json - Works for all train types: G (高铁), D (动车), Z (直达), T (特快), K (快速)