Chinese trains run from North Korea in the north to Vietnam in the south, and from Shanghai in the east to Urumqi and Tibet in the west. The distances are great, but high-speed trains cut hours off former travel times. And the trains pretty much run on time; for example, a train might arrive only 30 minutes late on a 33-hour journey.
Riding Trains in China Is a Social Experience
Train travel today bears little resemblance to that experienced by author Paul Theroux in Riding the Iron Rooster, an account of his experiences riding trains around China. It was published in 1988. Trains are more modern and comfortable and run faster today. But they are still an opportunity for travelers to socialize with average Chinese. The Chinese eat their way across the country, and, more often than not, offer to share what they’ve brought with foreign travelers. Foreigners should bring snacks to share as well as to eat themselves, saving money on the expensive snacks sold on the trains or at train stations.
Types of Chinese Trains
Chinese trains run the gamut from fast to express, though there still may be some milk-run trains which stop at smaller towns that express trains bypass. There are basically four types of trains: C & D, which are high-speed daytime and sleeper trains; Z, which are express sleeper trains; T, which are extra fast trains, and K, which are fast trains. The letter does make a significant difference in travel time. For example, a D train can make the Beijing-Shanghai route in nine hours, while it will take a T train approximately 13 hours for the same journey. The new high-speed train between Shanghai and Beijing, which began service in 2011, can make the trip in about five hours.
Types of Tickets
There are four passenger classes:
- Hard seat, which is usually a padded bench. A hard-seat ticket does not necessarily guarantee a traveler a place to sit, just a place to stand. As these are the cheapest, hard-seat cars are usually the most crowded.
- Hard sleeper, which has bunkhouse type sleeping arrangements, six bunks stacked three high in an open compartment.
- Soft seat, which has well-padded comfortable seats.
- Soft sleeper, which sleeps four in bunks in an enclosed compartment.
Some of the express trains are only soft seat and soft sleeper, while on others, hard-sleeper is the equivalent of soft sleeper on regular trains.
Travelers boarding en route can only get hard-seat tickets, but may be able to upgrade once on the train.
Reservations and Buying Tickets
Train tickets can be purchased anywhere from three to 20 days in advance, depending on departure and arrival points. They can also be purchased at the train station on the day of travel, though this is not recommended for travelers on a deadline or who want a specific class of service. China is gradually computerizing their system, and tickets can sometimes be purchased in one city for departure in another city. It is even possible to order train tickets online, though the website is only in Chinese at this time.
Larger cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, have separate ticket offices for foreigners, with clerks who speak some English. At smaller stations, it is usually more convenient if travelers have their hotel’s travel desk book the tickets; a small fee is charged for this. With new changes in the ticketing system, China now requires passengers to show identification when buying tickets for high-speed trains. Travelers can also book online with an agency such as China Trip Advisor for a service charge; online booking is the most expensive way to buy tickets.
Resources
The Main in Seat Sixty-One is a good primer on train travel in China, with pictures of the various trains and ticket classes. It also provides schedules and costs for the major routes. China Travel Guide also offers schedules and costs of tickets for all cities in China.
Cheryl Probst - Cheryl Probst is an award-winning photojournalist who specializes in writing about motorcycles, China and the Pacific Northwest.
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