China train information & fares

China train China has the busiest railway network in the world. According Wikipedia, China has 24% of all global railway traffic. The Chinese network is covering a total length of 78,000 kilometres. Only the USA and Russia have larger networks.
train ticketsMost hotels can book tickets for you: train, airline, city tours or shows. The hotel will get some commission for this service. But because the train fares are low, it will not be that much money. If you go to the train station yourself you will have the lowest fare but it is time-consuming. In the largest train stations they have a special ticket window for foreigners. Buying tickets online through the internet is another option but those online offices will also charge you a fee for their work.Do not throw your train ticket away after boarding the train: you have to show it when you exit the train station.
train reservationsIt is possible to make train reservations in China 5 till 20 days in advance. If you book your train tickets a few days days before you leave it should be okay. Exceptions are Chinese holidays and special events like the Olympic Games. In those cases make a reservation as soon as possible.
train classesThere are 4 different classes in the Chinese trains:- hard seat: crowded; 110 seats in carriage- soft seat: good choice for short distances- hard sleeper: 2x3 beds; 66 beds in carriage- soft sleeper: 2x2 bedsThe softsleeper has 4 beds in a closed compartment. Two beds are used as couch in the day: the other two are folding beds. The hardsleeper is not closed and you will have direct contact with all the other 64 passengers in the carriage.Sheets, pillows and blankets will be provided.Softsleeper compartment in train Shanghai-Guilin
food & drinksIn all trains is a dining car. Often it is crowded and customers eat fast. Best is to take some food and vegetables with you. Small foam boxes with a basic hot meal (rice/noodles; see photo above) are sold in the train. Hot water is free available. Don't forget either your own cup/tea/coffee/noodles/fork/spoon/chopsticks and toiletpaper.
train Beijing <-> ShanghaiThere are 10 trains daily between Beijing and Shanghai. Distance is 1460km. Fastest and most expensive is the new D31 (high speed)train. It departs 11.00 in Beijing and arrives 10 hours later in Shanghai at 21.00. In 2013 the travel time of this train will be reduced from 10 till only 5 hours.The other trains depart in the evening in Beijing between 19.30 - 20.30 and arrive between 7.00-9.20 in Shanghai. Comfortable trains are the Z-trains. Fare is ?00 for a softsleeper bed.The T-trains have Deluxe Softsleeper 2-person rooms with private toilet for ?00 per person. Cheapest ticket is the hardseat in the 1461-train with a journey of 23 hours.
train Hong Kong - Beijing, Guangzhou & ShanghaiHung Hom Station (Kowloon Station) has trains to the main cities in China. There are 3 through train routes:- the Beijing line- the Shanghai line- the Guangdong lineThe T97/T98 trains to Beijing and Shanghai have Deluxe Softsleeper 2person rooms with private toilet. Departure Hong Kong Hung Hom: 15.16, arrival in Beijing West Station 24 hours later at 15.41. Departure Beijing West: 12.00, arrival in Hong Kong Hung Hom later at 13.05 (25 hours journey).Train tickets must be booked well in advance because the train route Beijing - Hong Kong is a very popular one. The through trains operate on alternate days (not daily).Fares Hong Kong - Beijing: HKD1191 (about USD153) Deluxe Soft Sleeper, HKD934 SoftSleeper, HKD574-601 HardSleeper.Fares Hong Kong - Shanghai: HKD1039 Deluxe Soft Sleeper, HKD825 SoftSleeper, HKD530-508 HardSleeper.Tickets for the Guangdong line and Airport Express can be bought online: www.mtr.com.hk/eng/oticketing/intro.html
ChildrenChildren in mainland China under 1.10m travel free, children between 1.10-1.40 pay half fare and children over 1.40m pay the full fare.In Hong Kong are different rules. Child tickets in Hong Kong are for children aged 5 to 9 only. Children above 10 years old must buy adult tickets. Children under 5 years old and accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket may travel for free but will not have their own seat or sleeper.