High Speed Rail Guide | HelloChinaTrip|China Private Tours

China High Speed Rail Travel Guide

HCT's High Speed Rail Guide

China’s huge high-speed rail network is like a silver ribbon, making travel comfortable and convenient, but it brings difficulties to Western travelers who are not familiar with the railway system, such as language communication, ticket purchase and collection, cabin selection, and facility use, which are worrying.

HCT’s “High-speed Rail Travel Guide” is a caring guide. Whether you take the Fuxing train on the Beijing-Shanghai line or take the intercity train to the Leshan Giant Buddha, it can answer your questions and help you start a safe and comfortable high-speed rail journey.

① Why travel by high-speed train?

China’s high-speed trains run at about 250~350 km/h. The latest Fuxing trains can reach speeds of up to 400 km/h. You can get from Shanghai (over 1,200 km) to Beijing in just 5 hours.

High-speed trains are punctual. They are less affected by changes in climate and traffic. There is a low chance that your train will be delayed or even cancelled by weather factors such as thunderstorms, blizzards, low visibility, low clouds, wind shear, etc.

Your journey on China’s high-speed trains will be very comfortable. You will be seated on much better seats than on airplanes. Some seats can even lie flat.

In many cases, taking a high-speed train is cheaper than flying and driving, especially for short rides such as Beijing-Tianjin, Shanghai-Hangzhou, Chengdu-Xi’an. In addition, the price of high-speed train tickets does not fluctuate like flights.

Most of the daily-used equipment, facilities and items are provided in the Conspicuous area on the trains – Western-style toilets, dining cars, water, power plugs, and even Wi-Fi (on some G-series trains) …

Riding on land by high-speed train, you will see this authentic Chinese style up close from the oversized train windows.

② Learn about the names of Chinese trains

G prefix (high-speed rail): fastest (250-400 km/h), connecting major cities, with few stops, equipped with advanced facilities such as air conditioning, dining cars, Wi-Fi, etc., and Fuxing is a new generation model.

D prefix (EMU): second fastest (200-250 km/h), covering large, medium and small cities and towns, the only overnight high-speed train, with facilities similar to G prefix.

C prefix (intercity): low speed (less than 200 km/h), used for short-distance connections between adjacent cities or provinces (such as Beijing-Tianjin).

The speed is less than 160 km/h, the body is mostly green, divided into hard seats, hard sleepers, and soft sleepers, the facilities are relatively simple (mainly squat toilets, some with air conditioning), the ticket price is low, and it mainly serves small cities and underdeveloped areas.

③ Facilities and services of China's high-speed trains

Basic configuration: Air conditioning throughout the train, sealed and non-smoking; luggage racks are divided into above the seats (small items) and at the end of the carriage (large items such as 28-inch boxes).

Bathroom: Western-style/squat toilets and special toilets are provided, thin paper is provided (it is recommended to bring your own), and some cars have hand sanitizer/soap.

Catering: The dining car (mostly carriage No. 5) sells boxed Chinese meals for 15-65 yuan, waiters sell snacks on the roaming, and free drinking water is available at the connection between carriages.

Technical facilities: There is a 220V plug under the seat (adapter required), there is a Chinese TV screen in the carriage, and Fuxing is equipped with Wi-Fi.

④ Which Class of Seat to Take

The lowest fare, accounting for more than 90%, the carriage seats are arranged in a “2+3” pattern, the seats are 43 cm wide and can be tilted 5~24°, the legroom is similar to that of an economy class cabin, and there is a 220V plug under the seat (adapter required).

The price is higher than that of second class, the seats are arranged in a “2+2” pattern, the seats are wider (can be tilted 5~32°), equipped with a tray table, headphone jack, footrest, and more spacious and quiet space.

The most luxurious and comfortable, the leather seats can lie flat at 180°, there are private rooms, free meals and drinks are provided, the ticket price is about twice that of first class, and some are higher than air tickets.

used for long-distance overnight routes, including sleeper, soft sleeper, and premium sleeper.

⑤ How to Book China Train Tickets？

Currently, you can only book China train tickets 15 days in advance. You can buy tickets on the China Railway official website or some online travel agencies, or go to any train station in China. A passport is always required whether you book online or at the train station.

Booking Train Tickets Online
The English version of the website – https://www.12306.cn/en/index.html, allows foreign passengers who do not understand Chinese to register and buy train tickets by themselves. It should be noted that, currently, the English version only supports registration of valid foreign passports. When registering an account and adding passengers, the English version only requires an email address, no Chinese phone number is required. The website supports a variety of payment methods such as VISA, MasterCard, JCB and Diners.

Booking Train Tickets at Train Stations
If you are already in China, you can go to any train station’s nearby booking hall. The original language requires a passport and cash. You can also try to find a ticket office located on some main streets in big cities to book tickets if the train station is too far away from you. A booking fee of 5 ¥ is required. These ticket offices are open only between 9 am and 6 pm.

Let Your Hotel Book for You
If you are staying at a luxury hotel in China, such as JW Marriott, Mandarin Oriental, InterContinental, St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, you can ask the hotel to book the train tickets and have them charged to your room.

Book HelloChinaTrip with Train Tickets Included with HelloChinaTrip
We, China Discovery Tours, have designed many worthwhile China tours to take you to explore the most beautiful destinations in China by high-speed trains, such as Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Guilin, Chengdu, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Huangshan, etc. You can book a tour with us to get rid of all the daunting booking processes and just focus on enjoying your vacation.

How to Pick Up Tickets
Passengers need a paper ticket to board a train in China. There are currently no e-tickets. If you are at the railway station, you can pick up your ticket immediately. If you book your ticket online, you can pick up your ticket at any time at the ticket counter of any railway station in China, for example, book Shanghai to Chengdu in your country and pick up your ticket at the counter at Beijing Railway Station. You need to present your original passport and the ticket collection number (you will get the number after successfully booking the ticket online. Just like E123456789/EA12345678…) to the staff at the ticket office. If you are departing on the same day, it is best to arrive at the station at least 1~1.5 hours in advance so that there is enough time to collect the ticket and report to the station.

If you book your ticket through a third-party agency such as Trip.com, you can use the ticket delivery service to save time. If you travel with hellochinatrip, we can book the ticket and deliver it to you, or have your local tour guide collect the ticket.

⑥ How to read important information on your ticket？

The face of a train ticket includes information on the boarding gate, departure/arrival station, train type and number, departure time, carriage seat number, fare, identity information, etc. Paper tickets are divided into blue tickets (which can be checked by yourself) and red tickets (which require manual inspection).

After getting the ticket, you can get a lot of important information on the small paper.

Boarding gate (Row 1, right): The top right corner shows your boarding gate. For example, A21/B21 ticket says you should go to gate A21 or B21 to check in for the train.

The boarding gate is shown on the top right corner of your ticket, and the gate is the exact location you will be after getting to the train station. Not every ticket has the gate information (although most do). If there is no gate information, you should check it on the big LED screen as soon as you finish security check when entering the station.

Departure and arrival train stations (Rows 2 and 3): They are written in Chinese characters, for example, “Chengdu East” means “Chengdu East Railway Station” and “Xi’an North” means “Xi’an North Station”. The Chinese characters are their pinyin pronunciations, not their English names.

Train type and number: Train numbers usually start with G, D, or C. For example, D1920 is a D series high speed train; G stands for a G series high speed train, and C stands for a C series high speed train.

Departure Date Hour (Left side of Line 4): For example: 2018-05-17 09:19 Departure means the departure date and time is 2018-05-17 09:19 AM.

Car Number/Seat Number/Seat Class (Right side of Line 4): After the departure date and time is your car number and seat number. For example, 1 Car 4F means your seat is on 4F (Row 4) of Car 1. Below the car number and seat number is your seat class. For example: First Class Seat, Second Class Seat, Business Class Seat.

Fare (Line 5): Your fare can be found on Line 5. It is in CNY only. For example, ¥397.0 means your fare is 397 yuan.

Your identity information (line 7): On the left side of this line is your passport number. The last two letters (or digits) are hidden by mosaic.

Please note that there are two kinds of paper tickets – Blue Ticket and Red Ticket. The only difference between these two kinds of tickets is that Red Ticket can only be checked manually, while Blue Ticket can be checked by automatic input.

⑦ Departure Procedure at the Railway Station

China's railway stations, especially those newly built high-speed railway stations, are usually very large. Some stations, Beijing South Railway Station, Chongqing West Railway Station, Chengdu East Railway Station are even larger than some major international airports. But don't be intimidated by their huge maze of halls, doors, floors and waiting areas. In fact, the process of getting off and on from railway stations in China is much simpler and easier than that of airplanes. Usually, the larger railway stations are all user-friendly and provide you with English signs.

1) Get your passport ready. Travelers from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan need to carry your valid mainland travel permit.

2) Arrive at the right train station in advance: Please note that there is usually more than one train station in a city, and even 3 or even more in some big cities, such as Beijing (Beijing South, Beijing West, Beijing North…, Chengdu (Chengdu, Chengdu South, Chengdu East…), so please navigate to the right station before traveling. In addition, remember to leave early to catch the train, because the road leading to the railway station. Usually you should arrive at the train station at least 30 minutes in advance. Most railway stations in big cities can be reached by subway, taxi and bus.

3) Pick up your ticket at the train station. If your ticket is booked online, you can pick it up at the ticket hall, which is usually located outside the main entrance of the station.

4) Show your ticket and passport: When you enter the central station, you will find that some lines pass the ticket check. Show your ticket and passport to the agent, and the agent will check that the identity on your ticket and passport matches exactly.

5) Security check and luggage check: This process is very fast and can be completed in 1~2 minutes. Just place your luggage and bags on the inspection equipment and pass the security check. No need to take off your shoes, coat and belt. Then the security guard will pat you down with a metal detector to check that you are not carrying any dangerous items.

6) Find the right waiting room: Check your waiting hall (gate) on the upper right corner of your ticket, or from the big LED screen at the train station. Find a seat and wait for check-in.

7) Boarding: Usually about 15~20 minutes before departure, the boarding gate will open. You can leave your seat, let the attendant check your ticket, and then walk a few steps to find your train. Have a nice journey!

⑧ What to do with your baggage？

It is more convenient to carry luggage when traveling by train in China, and it is easier to place luggage on high-speed trains. The luggage limit policy stipulates that adult passengers can carry 20 kg of luggage for free, and children (with tickets) can carry 10 kg. The sum of the length, width and height of each piece of luggage shall not exceed 160 cm, and the length of the pole-shaped luggage shall not exceed 200 cm. In actual implementation, as long as the luggage can be carried with you and pass the scanner, it is basically allowed, but prohibited items are strictly prohibited.

After boarding the train, large luggage suitcases on high-speed trains can be placed in the luggage cabinets at the junction of two carriages or behind the last row of seats in the carriage, and small luggage can be placed on the luggage rack above the seats; the luggage storage space in first-class, business-class and soft-sleeper carriages is better than that in second-class carriages. Ordinary train luggage can only be placed above or below the seat. In addition, if the luggage is too large and heavy, it can be stored at the train station or rented by a porter for transportation.

⑨ Eating and drinking on high-speed trains

Food, snacks and drinks are available on high-speed trains. But if you are a westerner and not a Chinese food lover, the meals may not suit your taste very well. You can have lunch before taking the train or eat at a hotel or local restaurant if your train leaves in the afternoon. You can also bring some food with you if you are taking a long-distance train. Large stations usually have. You can find something to eat at KFC, MacDonald and some food stalls at the train statio

The dining car is usually on the 5th carriage. It is usually a small kitchen with a counter. Some dining cars have tables and seats, some do not. There are several Chinese-style box lunches on the menu, ranging from 15~65 yen, which are only served during meal times. No Western food is provided. Some packaged snacks are available at the counter, such as potato chips and biscuits, bread, nuts, dried fruits, etc. Instant noodles are not available on high-speed trains. Breakfast is usually bread, milk, porridge, eggs, steamed buns, etc. The types of food and snacks usually vary depending on the railway route.

If you are sitting in business class or first class, you can ask for transportation. If your seat is business class, meals are free. Sometimes the waiter will also push a cart to sell food, snacks and drinks.

The dining car provides some common drinks, such as cola, juice and bottled water. Hot water can be taken at the dispenser at the end of the carriage.

⑩ Train Bathroom

There are western-style and squat toilets on the high-speed train. The number and location vary depending on the type of train. They are clean and frequently cleaned. Toilet paper is available but runs out easily, so it is recommended to bring your own. Smoking is strictly prohibited in the toilets, and the toilets are closed when the train stops at the station. The use status can be checked by the toilet door signs (red “occupied”, green “unoccupied”) and the LED screens in the aisles.

There are accessible toilets on most high-speed trains in China, usually in carriage 5. It is specially designed for disabled passengers. There is a small stage inside the toilet where mothers can change diapers for their babies. The toilet has a large automatic door with sighs in English and Chinese. The space inside the toilet is relatively large, with a western-style toilet, a large wash basin, handrails, and a mirror. Toilet paper is provided.

⑪ Arrival at destination

The high speed trains in China usually arrive at the final destination on time to minutes. Don’t have to leave your seat in a hurry to push and squeeze in the crowds to exit. The attendants won’t urge to leave the train in minutes. Sit two or three more minutes to check all your belongings packed well, and then get off the train.

Check out railway stations in China is very easy. The pass out the station is usually not long, and has no many sideways. Just follow the stream of people. Before exiting the railway station, you have to check out with your ticket. Passport is not required this time. If you ticket is blue one, go through the auto-gate. If your ticket is the red one, go through manual service gate.

Currently, most of railways stations are connect to downtown with subways, such as Beijing South, Chengdu East, Chongqing North, Shanghai Hongqiao, Hangzhou East, Xian North, etc. You can easily take a subway in the station to get to central city area easily. Some railway stations even have an area inside the station for passengers to take taxi to destinations.

Other Routes to Experience D High Speed Trains

As high speed train travel are becoming much popular and recommended by large portion of visitors in China, here we also list some top high speed train routes chosen by most people during their China tour. See the routes at below and pick one to experience the great advantages of travelling by high speed train. Also, you could check all high speed train routes to select which section to experience.

2-Day Camping Tour at the Great Wall

4-Day Beijing Private Tour

5-Day Beijing Family Tour

3-Day Giant Panda and Giant Buddha Tour

4-Day Xi'an Ancient Relics Tour

10 Days Odyssey of the Yangtze

Customized Private Tours in China

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