China will pilot a system requiring train passengers to buy tickets with their own personal IDs to crack down on hoarding by ticket touts during busy holiday periods. The passenger’s name and ID card number will be printed on the ticket, which will be checked against the ID card that should be presented when boarding, the Ministry of Railway said.

The new system will be implemented in 37 stations along trunk lines passing through Guangdong, Hunan and Sichuan provinces, where large numbers of migrant workers arrive and depart. It will operate between 30 January and 13 February and tickets can be bought 10 days before departure.

Severe ticket shortages are common during national holiday periods, especially the Spring Festival. The situation is exacerbated because touts stockpile tickets and resell them at inflated prices.

China’s railways are expected to carry 210m passengers during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, according to the Ministry of Railway. The figure is 9.5 per cent higher than the same period last year.