Železniška potovanja na Kitajskem - Rail travel in China

COVID-19 informacije: Večina mednarodnih vlakov in vlakov v Hongkong je začasno ustavljenih. Vlakovne storitve se lahko začasno ustavijo tudi zaradi lokalnih izbruhov. Med potovanjem v vlakih na Kitajskem morate nositi maske, tudi če na območjih, kjer potujete, ni poročil o okuženih primerih. Ne pozabite posodobiti zdravstvene kode na mobilnih aplikacijah, kot sta WeChat ali Alipay, v skladu s predpisi na vašem cilju.

(Podatki so bili nazadnje posodobljeni 1. januarja 2021)

Potovanje z vlakom je za Kitajce glavna metoda prevoza na dolge razdalje, saj obsežna mreža poti pokriva večji del države. Približno četrtina celotnega železniškega prometa na svetu je v državi Kitajska.

Železniški zemljevid Kitajske (kliknite za razširitev)

Kitajska ima največjo mrežo na svetu hitre železnice (podobno kot francoski TGV ali japonski vlaki s kroglami Shinkansen), CRH vlaki, širitev pa se nadaljuje z nenavadnim tempom. Prav tako je dom edine visoke hitrosti na svetu spalni vlaki zaradi prevoženih velikih razdalj. Če vaša pot in proračun dopuščata, sta to morda najboljši način za obhod.

Hong Kong ima železniško postajo za visoke hitrosti, ki se je odprla za javnost leta 2018. Macau nima železniške povezave, čeprav je Zhuhai čez mejo povezan s hitro progo.

Vrste vlakov in storitev

Kitajski vlaki so razdeljeni na različne vrste storitev, označene s črkami in številkami, navedenimi na vozovnici in vlaku št.

Hitri vlaki

Predpone črk na številkah vlakov označujejo vrsto vlaka. Od najhitrejših do najpočasnejših so hitri vlaki:

Dva vlaka serije G na zahodni železniški postaji v Pekingu

• G-serija (高速 gāosù) - 300 km / h hitri hitri izrazi - na številnih hitrih progah, vključno z Peking–Zhengzhou–Wuhan–Guangzhou–Shenzhen, Zhengzhou–Xi'an, Peking–Nanjing–Šanghaj, Šanghaj–Hangzhou, Nanjing – Hangzhou–Ningbo. Ti vlaki imajo največjo hitrost 300 km / h (186 mph) pri Hexie Hao (和谐 号) (bela ali srebrna barva z modrim pasom) ali 350 km / h (217 mph) pri Fuxing Hao (mph 号) (bela barva) z rumenim pasom ali srebrno barvo z rdečim pasom, CR400AF, CR400BF). Vlaki na dolge razdalje služijo manj postajam, večinoma večjim mestom.

Medkrajevni vlak Šanghaj-Nanjing na železniški postaji Suzhou

• C (城 际 chéngjì): Serija C (城 际 chéngjì) - hitri izrazi na kratke razdalje 200-300 km / h - pomembni primeri vključujejo storitve iz Pekinga - Wuqinga -Tianjin–Tanggu, Shanghai South-Jinshanwei, Guangzhou-Shenzhen in Guanzhou-Zhuhai. Številčenje serije C se uporablja tudi za primestne vlake na progah Wuhan – Xianning. Najvišja hitrost je običajno do 200 km / h, z nekaterimi izjemami 300 km / h.

Vlak serije D iz Harbina v Peking

Vlak serije D za nehitrostno obratovanje.

• D-serija (动 车 dòngchē) - hitri hitri vlaki 200 km / h - Ti vlaki lahko dosežejo največjo hitrost 250 km / h (155 mph) s strani Hexie Hao (bela barva z modrim pasom). Vlaki za dolge razdalje služijo več postajam in vmesnim mestom. Nekatere serije D, zlasti vlaki čez noč, lahko dosežejo največjo hitrost 160 km / h (100 mph) z Fuxing Hao (smaragdno zelena barva z zlatim pasom, CR200J) in niso hitri vlaki. Vendar njegova cena še vedno temelji na vlakih serije D s hitrostjo 250 km / h.

Medtem ko je veliko prog zgrajenih s hitrostjo do 350 km / h, večina vlakov vozi zaradi hitrosti približno 300 km / h. Proge, zgrajene do 250 km / h, vozijo s hitrostjo 200 km / h. Od septembra 2017 vlaki, ki vozijo med Pekingom in Šanghajem, vozijo s hitrostjo do 350 km / h, več prog pa se postopoma obnavlja na njihovo načrtovano hitrost.

Obstaja nekaj vlakov G, katerih proge vključujejo proge, zgrajene po različnih standardih. V tem primeru tečejo s hitrostjo 300 km / h na progah višjega standarda in 250 km / h oziroma 200 km / h na progah nižjega standarda. Tudi cena vozovnice je različna glede na hitrost na vsakem delu poti. Na primer pot vlakov G od Pekinga do Taiyuan vključi prvi del iz Pekinga v Shijiazhuang, drugi del pa od Shijiazhuanga do Taiyuana. Prvi del je del hitre železnice Peking-Hong Kong, vlak pa vozi s hitrostjo 300 km / h. Vendar je drugi del hitre železnice Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan zgrajen le po standardu 250 km / h, zato vlak vozi z nižjo hitrostjo in cena na kilometer je nižja od prvega dela. In če se s tem vlakom odpeljete le za drugi del (na primer vstopite v Shijiazhuang in izstopite v Taiyuanu), ne bo nobene razlike od vlaka D niti v hitrosti niti v ceni.

Običajni vlaki

Hitrejše storitve običajno pomenijo višje cene, vendar imajo vlaki serij Z, T in K ceno na isti osnovi. Številčni vlaki imajo najnižjo ceno. Nekateri štejejo le vlake in zelo malo vlakov K ni opremljenih s klimatskimi napravami, njihove cene pa so občutno nižje.

Pred letom 2014 je bilo mogoče opazovati različne vrste vlakov z opazovanjem barve osebnih vozil. Od leta 2015 pa so vsi osebni avtomobili pobarvani v zeleno barvo, kar je skoraj nemogoče.

• Z-serija (直达 zhídá) - Neposredni hitri vlaki, običajna hitrost z manj postanki z največjo hitrostjo približno 160 km / h (100 mph). Prejšnje serije Z še vedno nimajo vmesnih postankov, novejše pa imajo lahko več postankov. Nekateri vlaki ponujajo samo mehke pragove. Nekatere, zlasti serije Z, ki vozijo med večjimi mesti, so nadgradili na nehitrostni vlak serije D.
• T-serija (特快 tèkuài) - medkrajevni vlaki s hitrostjo 140 km / h vozijo samo v večja mesta. Podobno kot vlaki Z –, čeprav se običajno ustavijo na več postajah.
• K-serija (快速 kuàisù) - 120 km / h počasnejši, cenejši in bolj polni vlaki z več postanki. Najpogosteje videna serija, klici na več postajah kot vlak T in imajo več trdih pragov in sedežev.
• Splošni hitri vlaki (普快 pǔkuài) - vlaki 120 km / h, brez črkovne oznake, štirimestno se začne z 1–5. Ti vlaki so najcenejši in najpočasnejši vlaki na dolge razdalje, čeprav je večina bodisi nadgrajena bodisi odpovedana. Izrazit primer bo vlak 1461/1462, ki vozi od Pekinga do Šanghaja.
• Splošni vlaki (普 客 pǔkè) - Vlaki na kratke razdalje 100 km / h brez črkovne oznake, štirimestni se začnejo s 5, 6 ali 7. Najpočasnejši vlaki se ustavijo skoraj povsod.
• Vozniki na poti (通勤 t Servicengqín) / Servisni vlaki (路 用 lùyòng) - štirimestne številke se začnejo z 8, petmestne pa se začnejo z 57, počasnimi lokalnimi vlaki, ki jih večinoma uporablja železniško osebje. Potnikom običajno ne prodajo vozovnic.
• L-serija (临时 línshí) - sezonski vlaki, primerni za K- ali štirimestne serije.
• Y-serija (旅游 lǚyóu) - vlaki, ki služijo predvsem turističnim skupinam.
• S-serija (市郊 shìjiāo) - vlaki vozijo v / iz predmestja okoli velikih mest.

Predavanja

Razredi vlakov za visoke hitrosti

Vlaki CRH imajo običajno pet razredov:

• Drugi razred (二等 座 erdengzuo) (Postavitev 3 2 sedežev). Sedeži so nekoliko ozki, vendar je prostora za noge dovolj.
• Prvi razred (一等 座 yidengzuo) (2 2 postavitev)
• Tri VIP razredes (2 1 postavitev tik za voznikovo kabino):
  • "商务 座" (poslovni razred). Sedeži, ki se popolnoma nagnejo v ležišče.
  • "观光 座" (ogledni tečaj).
  • "特等 座" (luksuzni razred).

商务 座 (poslovni razred) je na vlakih CRH boljši od "一等 座" (prvi razred). Cene 商务 座 (poslovni razred) in 观光 class (ogledi) imajo enako ceno, medtem ko je 特等 座 običajno dražji od "" 座 "(prvi razred), vendar cenejši od 商务 座 in 观光 座.

Če je vaše potovanje manj kot 2 uri, v drugem razredu res ne boste opazili velike razlike, čeprav bodo daljša potovanja v prvem razredu manj utrujajoča. Veliki ljudje imajo morda raje prvi razred, ker so sedeži opazno širši.

Drugi razred: Nekoliko trdnejši, a neprijetno sedeži v postavitvi 2 3. Nekoliko manj prostora med sedežnimi vrstami. Verjetneje bodo v prehodih imeli stoječe imetnike vozovnic, vendar ne toliko ali gneče kot običajni vlaki na Kitajskem. Na voljo so vtičnice. Vozički za hrano te vagone sicer servisirajo, vendar morda niso tako pogosti. Razlika med prvim in drugim razredom je manjša in se kaže v manjši razliki v ceni vozovnice.

Tipični sedeži prvega razreda

Prvi razred: Ti imajo udobne sedeže v postavitvi 2 2 z večinoma obrnjenimi sedeži. Nekaj ​​sedežev pa je mogoče najti v razporeditvi oči v oči čez mizo. Predel s sedeži je na voljo pri drugih storitvah. To se razlikuje glede na vrsto vlaka. Pri nakupu vozovnice ni mogoče izbrati sedežev. V sedežnih vrstah je več prostora za noge in večje mize za naslonjala. Prehrambeni vozički pogosto vozijo avto pri nakupih, pri čemer je v bližini tudi samopostrežni avto. Napajalne vtičnice so običajno na voljo pri večini storitev, vendar ne pri vseh, lahko so na dnu sedeža ali nad glavo na spodnji strani prtljažnika.

VIP razred: Ti sedeži se prodajajo z različnimi imeni na različnih linijah, najpogostejša so znamenitosti, VIP ali poslovni razred. Na voljo niso na vseh progah, na voljo pa je le nekaj sedežev. Številni temeljijo na ležečih sodobnih letalskih sedežih poslovnega razreda, nekateri pa so le prvorazredni standardni sedeži v bolj privilegiranem položaju, običajno so tik za vozniškim prostorom, s stekleno steno, ki omogoča pogled naprej na vlak. Vendar je to steklo pogosto zamrznjeno, da potniki voznika ne motijo. Sedeži so običajno razporejeni v postavitvah 21, vendar je na nekaterih storitvah mogoče najti 22 sedežev, odvisno od prostora, ki je na voljo za različne tipe vlakov. Razdeljeni sedeži v poslovnem razredu se nahajajo le na nekaj vlakih. Spremljevalec je na voljo izključno za potrebe potnikov poslovnega razreda, obrok, prigrizki in brezalkoholne pijače pa strežejo neposredno na sedeže, vključene v ceno. Na voljo so tudi copati za potniško uporabo. Vtičnice so na voljo na vsakem sedežu.

Notranjost spalnega avtomobila CRH2E

Spalni razred (动 卧 dòngwò): Po kitajskem omrežju čez noč vozi nekaj počasnejših hitrih vlakov s številkami D. Običajno so te storitve med večjimi naselji in imajo med 5 in 8 urami potovanja le malo postankov. Vlaki so razdeljeni v 4-pogradne kabine, opremljene po mehkem spalnem standardu običajnih kitajskih vlakov, s posteljnino. Za te storitve ni na voljo drugih sedežev ali pograd. Enkratna zasedenost predela ni mogoča, vse vozovnice pa je treba kupiti z osebno izkaznico ali potnim listom, zaradi česar je zaradi zasebnosti težko in ne splača se kupovati dodatnih ležišč v predelku. Izkazalo se je, da te storitve niso tako priljubljene kot druge storitve visoke hitrosti, vendar številne promocije in vse večje število razpoložljivih storitev to počasi spreminjajo. Po en prevoz v vsako smer običajno vozi med Pekingom in Šanghajem, Šanghajem in Guangzhouom. Šest nočnih prevozov vozi med Pekingom in Guangzhouom, nekateri nadaljujejo pot do Shenzhena, eden pa do Zhuhaija. Dodatne storitve so pogosto načrtovane za druga mesta v času največjega povpraševanja, kot je spomladanski festival.

Konvencionalni tečaji vlakov

Na običajnih (ne CRH) vlakih obstaja pet razredov potovanja:

Mehki predel za spanje T-vlaka

Trdi spalni predel na vlaku Z

• Mehki pragovi (软卧 ruǎnwò) so najbolj udoben način prevoza na večini vlakov in so po zahodnih standardih še vedno razmeroma poceni. Mehki predelki za spanje vsebujejo štiri pograde, zložene po dva na steber, zapahljiva vrata za zasebnost in so precej prostorna. Tudi ta razred ni tako udoben kot hotelska soba.
• Trdi pragovi (硬卧 yìngwò), na drugi strani pa imajo tri postelje na stolpec blizu odprtine na hodnik. Najvišji pograd pušča malo prostora za glavo. Višji popotniki (190 cm / 6'3 "in več) se lahko zdijo najboljši pograd, saj bodo vaše noge med spanjem segale v prehod in se ne bodo zaletele. Zgornji pograd je uporaben tudi za ljudi, ki imajo stvari za skrivanje (npr. fotoaparati). Ko jih postavite ob glavo, jih potencialni tatovi težje dosežejo. "Trdi" spalnik ni "trd"; postelje imajo vzmetnico in so na splošno precej udobne. Vsi pragovi imajo blazine in odejo .

V katerem koli razredu spalcev vstop na vlak s srednje postaje pomeni, da boste morda morali spati na isti postelji, kot jo je uporabil zadnji potnik, ne da bi imeli čistilno službo. Dobra možnost je, da prinesete prevleko za odejo za enkratno uporabo.

• Mehki sedeži (软座 ruǎnzuò) so prevlečeni s krpo, običajno ležeči sedeži in so posebna kategorija, ki jo boste le redko našli. Na voljo so le na dnevnih vlakih med namembnimi kraji s približno 4–8 urami potovanja.

Znotraj sodobnega trdega sedeža

• Trdi sedeži (硬座 yìngzuò), ki so dejansko oblazinjeni, niso za vsakogar, še posebej čez noč, saj so široki 5 sedežev, v razporeditvi treh in dveh. V tem razredu pa potuje večina množice nahrbtnikov. Z znaki "ne kaditi" v glavnem delu avtomobilov je na koncu avtomobilov vedno množica kadilcev in dim bo neskončno odnašal v kabino. Na večini vlakov, zlasti v notranjosti Kitajske, je prostor med avtomobili označen kot prostor za kajenje, čeprav so znaki za "določeno območje za kajenje" samo v kitajščini, zato to dejstvo mnogim potnikom morda ni jasno. Potovanje čez noč na trdih sedežih je neprijetno za skoraj vse in verjetno boste imeli težave s spanjem.
• Stoječe (无 座 wúzuò) omogočajo dostop do avtomobila s trdim sedežem, vendar ne omogočajo rezervacije sedeža. Razmislite o tem, da bi v nahrbtniku nosili stojalo za stojalo, da bodo takšna potovanja bolj udobna. Običajno je to edini razred, ki ga nudijo primestni vlaki. Sedež lahko zasedete, ko je na voljo, vendar ga morate po potrebi vrniti lastniku.

Nekateri drugi možni razredi na vlakih soː

• Visokokakovostni mehki pragovi (高级 软卧 / 高 包 gāojí ruǎnwó) so najvišji razredi, ki so na voljo na vlakih, ki niso CRH. Predelki ponavadi vsebujejo dve postelji (včasih le eno), zapahljiva vrata za zasebnost in včasih omaro, fotelj. Le malo jih vsebuje stranišča v predelkih. Običajno tako udobno kot hotelska soba. Vendar večina vlakov nima tega razreda.
• Ni rezervirano (不对 号 入座 búduìhàorùzùo) omogočajo dostop do vlaka, vendar niso rezervirani za sedež. To je običajno vidno na primestnih vlakih, katerih številke sedežev niso prikazane. Preprosto izberite sedež, ki vam je všeč, in sedite ali stojte v varnem in udobnem položaju.

Večina vlakov je klimatiziranih. Neklimatizirani vlaki so redki in so večinoma splošni vlaki.

Rezervacija vstopnic

Kitajska vozovnica za vlak z opisnimi polji

Prodaja vozovnic za vlake se običajno začne 20 dni vnaprej, bodisi prek spleta prek spletnega mesta za rezervacijo China Rail ali na blagajnah glavnih železniških postaj. Dva dni kasneje lahko vstopnice kupite v zasebnih agencijah.

Še posebej okoli festivalov se vstopnice zelo hitro razprodajo, zato vstopnice rezervirajte čim prej. Kupovanje rabljenih vozovnic je nezakonito, zato, če vam na železniški postaji ponudijo vozovnice s popustom ne jih kupi.

Vstopnica za hitri vlak na Kitajskem

Alternativni slog vstopnic, ki ga pogosto najdemo na Kitajskem

Vstopnico lahko kupite:

1. s spletnega mesta.
2. na blagajni na železniški postaji
3. iz avtomatiziranega avtomata za prodajo vozovnic
4. v agenciji za prodajo vozovnic

Za udobje je priporočljiva prva možnost.

1. Nakup s spletne strani (priporočeno)

Vstopnice lahko rezervirate po spletu na različnih spletnih mestih. Za rezervacije je potrebna številka vašega potnega lista. Po rezervaciji vozovnic morate natisnjeno vozovnico prevzeti na blagajni na železniški postaji pred odhodom ali pa jo natisniti vnaprej. Slaba stran predhodnega pridobivanja vozovnice je, da časa odhoda ni mogoče spremeniti po tiskanju vozovnice. Vendar je zelo priporočljivo, da si vozovnice priskrbite vnaprej, da prihranite stres zaradi čakanja v dolgi vrsti na postaji, da prevzamete vozovnico tik pred odhodom. Storitve, kot je Trip.com, dodajo 40 JPY, če vozovnico prejmete po hitri pošti.

Tudi če nameravate vstopnice kupiti na blagajni, je vredno preveriti ta spletna mesta za namene načrtovanja. Številna mesta imajo več postaj CR, preverjanje voznih redov in proste kapacitete pa vam bo pomagalo izbrati najboljšo za cilj.

Uradna stran za rezervacije

Spletno mesto China Rail je uradni in edini dokončni spletni vir za vozne rede, razpoložljivost vozovnic in spletne rezervacije.

Vstopnice je možno rezervirati preko spletnega mesta; vendar morate imeti Kitajski bančni račun da jim plača. Čeprav vstopnic verjetno ne boste mogli rezervirati sami, je prošnja za kitajskega prijatelja, da to stori namesto vas, eden najprimernejših načinov za vstopnice vnaprej: vstopnice so najprej na voljo na spletu, preden jih prodate v agencijah, in ne pri rezervaciji ne morate predložiti potnega lista vsakega potnika (pripravite vse številke potnih listov). Vozovnice lahko nato kadar koli prevzamete s potnim listom na kateri koli železniški postaji ali v prodajni agenciji.

Na voljo je samo v kitajščini, vendar ga ni težko uporabljati, če lahko preberete nekatere kitajske znake. Če želite izvedeti vozne rede vlakov ali razpoložljivost vozovnic, na prvi strani kliknite "余 票 查询" (yu piao cha xun, preostalo vprašanje vozovnice). Vnesite izvor, cilj in datum (vmesnik bo sprejel pinjin in vam prikazal ustrezne kitajske znake, ki jih želite izbrati), nato kliknite "查询" (cha xun, poizvedba).

Nato se vam prikaže matrika vlakov, ki ta dan potujejo, in preostale vozovnice.

• 车次: Ta stolpec prikazuje številko vlaka.
• 出发 站 / 到达 站: Izvor in cilj vlaka. Vsakemu mestu je morda dodana pripona, ki označuje železniško postajo. Običajno je to ena od 北 (bei, sever), 南 (nan, jug), 东 (dong, vzhod), 西 (xi, zahod), npr. 北京 西 je železniška postaja Peking West. Te pripone so še posebej pogoste pri vlakih CRH, saj se pogosto postaje ločijo od običajnih vlakov.
• 出发 时间 / 到达 时间: čas odhoda in prihoda.
• 历时: Trajanje potovanja, prikazano kot "XX 小时 YY 分", kjer je XX število ur in YY število minut. Pod njo je navedeno število dni: 当日 到达 (prihod istega dne), 次日 到达 (prihod naslednji dan), 第三 日 到达 (prihod dva dni kasneje).
• Preostali stolpci ustrezajo različnim razredom in prikazujejo količino preostalih vstopnic. "Ni vstopnic na voljo" je prikazano kot "无" (wu), sicer pa je prikazano število preostalih vstopnic. S klikom boste razkrili ceno vozovnice. Preverite zgornje informacije, da boste razumeli različne razpoložljive tipe in razrede vlakov. Pri iskanju daleč naprej je lahko prikazan čas v dnevu, ki nato označuje, kdaj so vstopnice na voljo za nakup.

Spletno mesto je nekoliko ugledno kot počasno in nezanesljivo. Vendar se to večinoma nanaša na čase, kot je kitajsko novo leto, ko se vstopnice prodajo v nekaj sekundah in nastanejo obremenitve, ki bi skoraj vsako spletno mesto postavile na kolena.

Spletna mesta tretjih oseb

• Spletno mesto MTR High Speed ​​Rail. Hong Kong MTR nudi vozovnice za hitre vlake do / od postaje Hong Kong West Kowloon. Sprejema kartice Visa, MasterCard ali Union Pay, vozovnice, kupljene na tej spletni strani, pa je treba prevzeti na postaji Hong Kong West Kowloon. Brezplačno. 
• PandaTrips.com. Spletno mesto za spletno rezervacijo vozovnic za vlake na Kitajskem v angleščini, v treh korakih, enostavno za rezervacijo vozovnic.
• Spletno mesto Trip.com (prej Ctrip). Rezervacije vozovnic po spletu v 19 jezikih. 
• CTrip. Kitajsko potovalno spletno mesto z angleško različico in angleško mobilno aplikacijo, ki vam omogoča ogled voznih redov, rezerviranje običajnih in hitrih vlakov od 20 dni do 30 minut pred odhodom. V aplikaciji boste morali registrirati podatke o potnem listu. Kupon za vozovnico bo v aplikacijo poslan 2 uri po nakupu. Pokažite to osebju postaje na blagajni s potnim listom, da prevzame vozovnico za vlak. Sprejema mednarodne kreditne / debetne kartice, vključno z American Express. (posodobljeno april 2017)
• CTrains.com je prvo spletno mesto za spletno rezervacijo vozovnic za vlake na Kitajskem za angleške uporabnike. Popotniki lahko 24-ur na spletu rezervirajo vozovnice za vlake na Kitajskem v realnem času. Prav tako ne zaračuna nobene provizije za rezervacijo.
• Spletno mesto Človek na sedežu 61 ima dober odsek o kitajskih vlakih.
• Absolute China Tours ali Kitajski poudarki imeti informacije o času in cenah vozovnic v angleščini (čeprav so izredno koristni, seznami teh spletnih mest niso 100% popolni)
• OK Potovanje^{[mrtva povezava]} ima več urnikov. Spletno mesto je večinoma v kitajščini, vendar vključuje romanizirana imena krajev in ga lahko uporabljate, ne da bi vedeli kitajsko. Na iskalni strani preprosto izberite med ponujenimi seznami: leva stran je kraj odhoda, desna je cilj. V spustnem polju morate izbrati pokrajine ali regije, preden se prikaže ustrezen seznam mest. Izberete mesta, ki jih želite, nato pritisnite spodnji levi gumb (označen z 确认, "potrditev") za izvedbo iskanja. Če lahko imena krajev vnesete v kitajskih črkah, vam lahko funkcija iskanja celo pomaga pri načrtovanju večkrakovnih potovanj.
• CNVOL ima obsežen (precej izčrpen) in pogosto posodobljen seznam vseh vlakov, ki vozijo na Kitajskem. Preprosto vnesite imena krajev, s katerimi začnete in končate potovanje, in našli boste seznam vseh vlakov, ki vozijo po poti (vključno z vsemi vlaki, ki so ravnokar mimo vaših izbranih postaj), naveden z njihovim začetkom in koncem mesta in časi. Kliknite želeno številko vlaka in cene za vse razrede sedežev ali ležišč, ki so na voljo, najdete tako, da kliknete preverite ceno naprej po ceni. Tu je najpomembneje, da imena mest vpišete v "pinjin", liki nikoli niso ločeni s presledkom, npr. Lijiang, Peking, Šanghaj, Shenzhen, Kunming itd.

2. Nakup na blagajni železniške postaje

(Tiha) blagajna na južni postaji Guangzhou

Vsaka postaja bo imela eno ali več blagajn, kjer boste lahko postavili v čakalno vrsto in kupili vozovnico. Pričakujemo lahko varnostno točko za pregled vaše prtljage ob vstopu na blagajne največjih postaj. Lahko so zelo gneče, z dolgimi čakalnimi vrstami in malo napisov v angleščini. Vendar pa bodo veliki elektronski znaki nad okenci za prodajo vozovnic prikazovali naslednje vlake, načrtovane na tej postaji, in še vedno na voljo sedeže v vsakem razredu za naslednjih nekaj dni. Policist bo želel le vedeti za vaš cilj in vam zagotoviti naslednje vlake in razred sedežev, ki so na voljo. Na največjih postajah je za tujce na voljo poseben okenc za vstopnice. Za vračilo vozovnic, zamenjavo vozovnic ali samo za starejše občane z malo angleškimi informacijami lahko pojasnite, katera linija je katera. Možno je, da se pridružite napačni čakalni vrsti in da vas osebje noče postreči. Blagajne železniških postaj lahko zdaj za doplačilo v višini 5 JPY na vozovnico prodajajo vozovnice, ki odhajajo z drugih postaj po vsej Kitajski in obratujejo na drugih železniških postajah.

Običajno se za vstopnice plača gotovina, čeprav nekateri okenci sprejemajo kartice UnionPay. Tuje kreditne kartice so uporabne samo na večjih postajah v največjih mestih.

Če na splošno kupite vozovnice do okenca, boste vsem prihranili veliko težav, če imate napisano številko vlaka, datum in uro odhoda, sedežni razred in število vozovnic ter mesta izvora in cilja. navzdol v kitajščini ali vsaj v pinjinu. Osebje praviloma ne bo govorilo angleško, na železniških postajah pa ne bodo imeli veliko potrpljenja, saj so navadno dolge čakalne vrste.

3. Nakup iz avtomatiziranega avtomata za prodajo vozovnic

Prodajni avtomati na železniški postaji Peking West

Krajše čakalne vrste najdete na avtomatiziranih avtomatih. Kljub temu, da ima angleško možnost prikazovanja informacij, lahko prodaja vstopnice samo imetnikom kitajskih osebnih izkaznic. Stroji lahko vzamejo, čeprav jih mnogi le sprejmejo Kartice UnionPay ali gotovina. Običajno so ob blagajni. Nekateri avtomatizirani avtomati za prodajo vozovnic so samo za določeno progo ali regijsko območje omrežja, vendar je to običajno jasno označeno in prikazano na avtomatu. Kljub omejitvam so še vedno koristne za hitro iskanje voznih redov in razpoložljivost vozovnic v angleščini, preden se uvrstijo v vrsto vozovnic.

4. Nakup pri agenciji ali pisarni za vozovnice

Mnoga mesta bodo imela več ločenih blagajn ali agencij za vlake. Lahko so kot velika trgovina, značilne za številne turistične agencije ali velike hotele, pogosteje pa so lahko preprosta ureditev luknje v steni. Običajno niso gneče, običajno brez linij in so bolj priročno nameščene kot številne železniške postaje. Vendar jezikovno znanje teh agencij ne bo dovolj. Iskanje pisarne je lahko težavno, saj so pogosto majhne in imajo samo kitajske oznake, bodite pozorni na logotip CRH ali China Railways ali preprosto na seznam številk vlakov ob oknu. Delujejo na enak način kot blagajna na železniški postaji, vendar zaračunajo dodatnih 5 JPY na vozovnico kot agencijsko provizijo. Za udobje je to majhna cena.

Majhne prodajalne oken, raztresene po mestih, imajo oznako "售 火车票" (shou huo che piao). Potovalne agencije bodo denar in rezervacije za vozovnice sprejele vnaprej, vendar nihče ne more zagotoviti vaše vozovnice, dokler jih postaja ne spusti na trg, nato pa bo vaša agencija šla in kupila vozovnico, ki vam jo je "zagotovila". To velja povsod na Kitajskem.

Zamenjava izgubljenih vstopnic

Če ste izgubili vozovnico, pojdite na blagajno s svojim potnim listom ali osebnim dokumentom, če želite dobiti zamenjavo. Poiščite specializirano okno blagajne, ki obravnava izgubljene vstopnice (挂失, guàshī). Izpitnik vam bo preklical izgubljeno vozovnico in za enako ceno boste kupili novo nadomestno vozovnico. Na krovu obvestite kondukterja, da je vaša vozovnica nadomestljiva. Dirigent bo odprl elektronski zapis, ki vam bo omogočil vračilo kupnine na vaši ciljni postaji. V roku 24 ur po prihodu na ciljno postajo osebno pojdite s potnim listom ali osebno izkaznico in nadomestno vozovnico do okenc blagajne, kjer obravnavate vračila kupnine (退票 处, tuìpiào chǔ). Vračilo se plača na oknu v gotovini, zmanjšano za fee 2.

Namigi

• Če ne kupite direktne vozovnice (zlasti kadar so vlaki gneči), poskusite razdeli svoje potovanje na 2 kosa ali več. Vožnja z vlaki je na Kitajskem res priljubljen način potovanja na kratke razdalje in vozovnice za krajše razdalje je običajno veliko lažje kupiti kot tiste na dolge razdalje. Vendar pa vas malo verjetne zamude vlaka lahko zaustavijo na vlaku in lahko zlahka zamudite povezavo. Če potujete na dolgi razdalji z naslednjim vlakom, je pogrešanje vlaka lahko precej draga izkušnja. Upoštevajte torej tveganje pogrešanih vlakov in poskusite narediti povezovalno pot krajšo od prve.
• Če greste v majhno mesto sredi proge namesto na njene konce, bo sistem rezervacij zmanjšal število vozovnic na teh postajah in več vozovnic za večje. Železniški sistem potniku omogoča, da izstopi ali vstopi na srednjo postajo. Torej lahko podaljšati svojo vozovnico za krajše potovanje ali "Kupite dlje in vozite krajše", ki jo poznajo pogosti kitajski potniki in železničarji. Nekoliko bo stalo več, vendar veliko bolje kot če ne dobite vozovnice.
• Če potujete kot skupina (z družino, prijatelji itd.), Vas bo sistem namestil le na najbližjih sedežih. Torej, če na tak način ne dobite vstopnice (običajno na spletnem mestu), poskusite razdeli skupino v samske osebe in bo veliko lažje. Ker ste na vlaku ločeni, lahko sedeže zamenjate z drugimi potniki. Večina jih ne bo motila, da zamenjajo sedeže, nekateri pa vas bodo morda prosili, da plačate razlike v ceni (na primer vrzel med zgornjim in spodnjim pogradom). Oglejte si cene, prikazane na njegovi vozovnici, in pričakujete verjetno malo dodatnega denarja. Vedno bodite hvaležni, če se kdo strinja, da zamenjate sedeže, in mu pomagajte, če poskušajo prtljago premakniti, s čimer boste ljudem pokazali, da ste prijazni in boste verjetno dobili odgovor z "Da". Poskusite, da starejša oseba, starejša od 55 let, ne preide na zgornje pograde, na katere je morda težko plezati.
• Če prihajate v mesto s povezavo CRH, poskusite rezervirati storitev CRH in ne navadne vlake, kar pomeni dražjo vozovnico, vendar veliko lažje vozovnice. Medkrajevnih hitrih storitev je veliko več kot običajnih. Včasih je vozovnica CRH cenejša od običajnega vlaka v sezonah popustov. Pri tem morate najprej izbrati postajo s CRH (na primer pri rezervaciji od Pekinga do Šanghaja spremenite postaji v Peking South in Shanghai Hongqiao, ki zagotavljata samo visoke hitrosti.

Železniške postaje

Opomba: Kitajske železniške postaje so tradicionalno vroče točke žeparjev, prevarantov in drugih zločincev. Večje postaje policija dobro nadzoruje tako znotraj kot zunaj postaje, vendar bodite previdni na manjših postajah.

Številna mesta imajo različne postaje za običajne vlake in vlake za visoke hitrosti. Imena postaj za visoke hitrosti so običajno sestavljena iz imena mesta in glavne smeri (na primer Héngyángdōng "Hengyang East").

Kitajske železniške postaje delujejo bolj kot letališče kot kot železniška postaja v drugi državi. Zato ne računajte, da boste v zadnjem trenutku ujeli vlak - vrata se zaprejo nekaj minut pred odhodom! Da boste varni, bodite tam vsaj 20 minut prej ali 30 minut, če vstopite na veliko železniško postajo.

Za vstop na postajo morate opraviti začetno vozovnico in varnostni pregled. Ko ste v odhodni dvorani, sledite digitalnim kazalnim tablam in poiščite prava vrata za vkrcanje (vsaj v postajah CRH morajo biti v angleščini in kitajščini; če je na voljo samo kitajščina, boste še vedno lahko našli številko železniške storitve). ki je natisnjeno na vrhu vaše vozovnice). Počakajte v čakalnici blizu vrat, dokler se ne napove vkrcanje približno 10–20 minut pred odhodom. Nato boste opravili preverjanje vozovnice (pripravite potni list, saj ga bodo morda želeli videti) in sledili množici do perona. Obstajata dve vrsti vozovnic: rdeče papirnate vozovnice, ki jih izdajo agencije za prodajo vozovnic, in modre magnetne vozovnice, ki jih dobite na blagajni postaje. Modre vstopnice gredo v eno od avtomatiziranih vrat, medtem ko rdeče vstopnice preverite ročno; pojdite skozi vrata na pravo mesto.

Na peronu vlak morda že čaka; otherwise, look for your car number written on the platform edge and make sure you're waiting in the right place, because often the train will only stop for a couple of minutes. If there are no such indications, show your ticket to staff and they will show you where to wait. Some newer stations have higher level platforms that are level with the door, but at smaller stations the platforms are very low and you have to ascend several steep steps to board the train, so be prepared if you have a large suitcase. Generally passengers are friendly and will offer to help you with any bulky luggage.

Wuchang Railway Station: exiting from the arrival area. The arriving passengers' tickets are checked at the exit gate

At your destination, you leave the platform through one of the clearly indicated exits, which will not bring you into the waiting area but outside of the station. Your ticket will be checked again and you can keep your ticket.

Finding your train station

While conventional trains typically stop at older train stations, in the urban cores, high-speed train use new routes that bypass cities central areas. Although in some cities (e.g. Shijiazhuang) high-speed trains may use the same station with the conventional trains, it is more common for them to call at a new purpose-built station on the city's outskirts. It is therefore essential for the passenger to pay attention to the exact name of the station where his train is to be boarded. For example, in Xi'an, conventional trains stop at Xi'an Railway Station, while high-speed ones do at Xi'an North (Xi'an bei) Railway Station; v Kunming, the conventional trains are at Kunming Railway Station, while the high-speed ones are at Kunming South (Kunming nan). Sometimes a city served by three parallel lines (an older "conventional" one, a long-distance high-speed line, and an "intercity" [commuter] high-speed line) may have three stations used by the three types of service! (e.g. Xianning, Hubei).

Local people may refer railway stations with an unofficial name, which can be totally different from the real station name. For example, Tianjin Station may be called "Tianjin East Station".

Sometimes a train stops at two or more stations within the city (e.g. Nanning and Nanning East (Nanning dong)), in which case you can buy a ticket to or from the station more convenient to your destination.

As China's railway network, and in particularly its high-speed component, develop rapidly, it's not unusual for a new station to open before proper access roads to it have been constructed. Having chosen what appears to be a direct route to the station, you may find it interrupted by a construction site, a fence around a strawberry field, a field of mud, or a complicated (and poorly sign-posted) detour via a residential neighborhood. (Examples, as of 2016-2017: Yuxi; Hekou North; southern approach to Fangchenggang North.) Due to the same rapid development, it is not unusual for a slightly older printed map of a city to show only the older station (service to which may have been reduced or altogether discontinued), and not the recently opened new station.

Local bus and taxi drivers should, presumably, be aware of the most sensible routes available, but out-of-towners are occasionally led astray by their GPS navigators.

When a new station opens, bus and taxi service to it starts immediately (or almost immediately); so getting from the station to the town by public transportation usually is not a problem; but to get to the station from town by bus, you may want to find out in advance which bus routes run there, and where their stops are in town. In large cities with subway systems (Xi'an, Wuhan, Suzhou, Fuzhou...) building a subway line to the new station usually becomes a priority for the local transportation planners; still, it may take a few years for the line to be completed.

Travel tips

Train doors are always managed by railway staff, which means you should ne attempt to open or close them by yourself unless in case of a genuine emergency.

CRH trains are top-notch, even internationally, in terms of equipment and cleanliness. This includes the toilets, which reliably have toilet paper and soap available – a rare thing in China. The toilets on non-high-speed trains also tend to be a little more "usable" than on buses or most public areas because they are simple devices that empty the contents directly onto the track and thus don't smell as bad. Soft sleeper cars usually have European style toilets at one end of the car and Chinese squat toilets at the other. On non-CRH trains if the train will be stopping at a station, the conductor will normally lock the bathrooms prior to arrival so that people will not leave deposits on the ground at the station.

Long distance trains will have a buffet or dining car, which serves not very tasty hot food at around ¥25. The menu will be entirely in Chinese, but if you're willing to take the chance then you can eat very well (try to interpret some of the Chinese characters, or ask for common dishes by name). If you are on a strict budget then wait until the train stops at a station. There are normally vendors on the platform who will sell noodles, snacks, and fruit at better prices. There are no showers provided on all sleeper trains, so consider bringing towels or bathing before boarding a sleeper train.

Every train car normally has a hot boiled water dispenser available so bring tea, soups and instant noodles in order to make your own food. Passengers commonly bring a thermos bottle, or some kind of closeable glass cup, to make tea.

Be careful with your valuables while on the train; property theft on public transportation has risen.

On most higher-level trains (T, K, Z and CRH trains) recorded announcements are made in Chinese, English and occasionally Cantonese (if the train serves Guangdong province or Hong Kong), Mongolian (in Inner Mongolia), Tibetan (in Tibet) or Uighur (in Xinjiang). Local trains will have no announcements in English, so knowing when to get off can be harder.

Motion sickness pills are recommended if you are inclined toward that type of ailment. Ear plugs are recommended to facilitate uninterrupted sleep. In sleeper cars, tickets are exchanged for cards on long distance trains. The cabin attendants return the original tickets when the train approaches the destination station thus ensuring everyone gets off where they should even if they can't wake themselves up.

If you have some things to share on the train, you'll have fun. The Chinese families and business people travelling the route are just as bored as the next person and will be happy to attempt conversation or share a movie shown on a laptop. All in all, the opportunity to see the countryside going by is a neat experience.

Smoking is not permitted in the seating or sleeping areas but is allowed in the vestibules at the end of each car. On the new CRH trains, the Guangzhou-Kowloon shuttle train and the Beijing Suburban Railway smoking is completely forbidden. Smoking is banned inside station buildings apart from in designated smoking rooms, although these places are often unpleasant and poorly ventilated.

If you bought your ticket online, make sure to arrive at the right station as many cities have more than two or more stations that are far from each other.

Checked luggage and parcels

Chinese railways allow you to take large suitcases (at least up to the size of the standard airline check-in luggage with you) aboard your train; depending on the class of service, on how full the train is, and on how much luggage other passengers have, it may or may not be easy to find a way to stow you luggage in the railcar without it being in everybody's way. There is normally no way to transport your bags as checked luggage on the same train with you, the way airlines do. However, if you need to transport large or bulky items (e.g. large boxes or a full-size bicycle), or want to send things separately from you, you can have them sent to your destination using China Railway Express (CRE). See the detailed discussion under High-speed rail in China#Checked luggage and parcel service.

High-speed rail

Kitajska has built a high-speed passenger rail network and is continuing to expand it rapidly. The trains are similar to French TGV, German ICE, or Japanese Shinkansen. Over 30,000 km of routes are in service, making China's system the world's largest high-speed network.

These are easily the best way of getting around China where available. The trains are clean, comfortable and modern. Seating is comparable to that in an airplane or even better. Most tickets are for assigned seats; no-seat tickets are sometimes sold in limited numbers but, unlike regular Chinese trains, there is never a mad crush with more people sitting in the aisles than in seats. Also unlike other trains, no smoking is allowed, not even between carriages. Prices are reasonable by Western standards and, on most routes, departures are frequent.

Although China has a well-developed and advanced airport infrastructure, the country suffers from notorious flight delays whereas the high-speed rail network is very punctual. Although the flight from Beijing to Shanghai (for example) is shorter than the train ride, once you take travel time to and from the airport and the likelihood of long delays into account the rail connection is far more appealing.

The fast trains are called CRH, China Railway High-speed. At some train stations there is a separate CRH ticket office or even vending machines; at others, CRH tickets are sold at separate counters in the main ticket office. In either case, look for the “CRH” signs or logo.

The speeds attained vary considerably from line to line. The technology used also varies. Nearly all the rolling stock is now manufactured in China, but much of the technology has come from abroad. The Canadian company Bombardier, Japanese Kawasaki, German Siemens (manufacturer of the ICE) and French Alstom (manufacturer of the TGV) have been involved. Some new lines have adopted individual interior colour schemes and decor to highlight the region they operate in, however most trains follow a standard palette.

Carry-on luggage

Luggage racks can be found at the ends of most cars, otherwise oversized luggage can fit behind the last seat at the carriage end. Train staff are very strict on how luggage is placed on the overhead luggage racks, poking any loose straps away or rearranging any bags they deem to be dangerous. Overall, due to fewer passengers per car and more space given for luggage, luggage arrangements on high-speed trains are much more adequate than in "hard-seat" cars of ordinary trains (where passengers' big suitcase often end up blocking the aisle and inconveniencing everyone).

According to the rules printed on the back of each ticket, a passenger on Chinese trains is allowed to carry up to 20 kg of luggage for free (10 kg on a children's ticket); the sum of length, width, and height of each piece should not exceed 160 cm on ordinary trains or 130 cm on high-speed trains. In practice, no one usually checks the weight of your luggage, so if you can handle its weight, you can take it along. However, reports from Hong Kong's new Hong Kong West Kowloon Station (opened 2018) indicate that size is checked at this station.

Other than the checks reported from Hong Kong, any suitcase that satisfies the standard size restrictions for check-in baggage on international airlines appears in practice to be OK for carry-on on China's high-speed trains. However, if a train is full, finding space for your large bag may sometimes be difficult. A collapsible (folding) bicycle, properly folded and packed into a suitably large bag, will be permitted as well.

Checked luggage and parcel service

Items too large to carry on (including full-size bicycles, or electric scooters) or containing certain items prohibited in carry-on luggage (e.g. knives) can be sent (托运 tuoyun) as checked luggage. This service is operated by China Railway Express Company (CRE) (中铁快运), so this is the name you'll see on the signs.

The CRE web site (in Chinese) has a list of their drop-off and pick-up office locations; look for the服务网点 link on the main page. The form will ask you for your location, in terms of China's three-level administrative division (province, prefecture-level city, county or district) and the street address (if you don't know one, you usually can enter a station name instead, e.g. 上海南站), and it will show you the service locations on the map. Most major stations have a CRE office (which serves as the station's baggage department), usually in a building somewhere near the main station building. There are some exceptions though: for example, even though you can send a parcel from the baggage department at the Wuchang Railway Station in Wuhan, parcels sent to Wuchang Station will most likely have to be collected in a shed in a construction material market some 5 km away from the station.

There is no requirement that the sender travels to the same station where the baggage is sent (or that s/he travels at all); one can use the service to send a parcel to another person. The service seems to be fairly popular with small businesses.

Checked luggage does not travel on the same train with you, and is likely to arrive to its destination a few days later. The service standard is 3 days for distances up to 600 km, and an additional day for each full or partial 600 km beyond that. (For example, the service standard from Guangxi do Jiangsu, on a route that would involve several transfers, is 6 days). In practice, of course, your parcel may arrive much faster than that, especially if being shipped between two stations that are connected by some slow passenger train that includes a baggage car.

The cost of a shipment is computed as the per-kg rate based on the distance (as per the official railway mileage) multiplied by the weight of the item being shipped. For shipping a bicycle, the cost is computed as for a 25-kg item.

For a distance of around 1000 km (e.g. from Beijing or Fuzhou to Wuhan or Nanjing), the rate is around ¥3 per kg, which amount to ¥70-80 for a 25-kg piece of luggage or a parcel, or for a bicycle (as of 2018). Od Fangchenggang on the South China Sea to Yangzhou near Shanghai (over 2000 km) the cost for a 25-kg item was ¥137 as of 2016.

The CRE web site has a cost and travel time estimator tool. Follow the 价格时效 link, and enter the origin and destination location (in terms of province, city, district) and the shipment's weight in kilograms.

Onboard services

Dining cars with full restaurant service are rare on most high-speed services. Typically buffet cars serving light meals and drinks are provided with standing benches and tables. Large and well-maintained western-style toilets are to be found on all services. A centrally located compartment houses the train manager, to help with passenger issues or ticketing.

Electronic signage will display information such as the time, train speed, next stop and indoor/outdoor temperatures in Chinese and English. Most announcements will be bi-lingual in Chinese and English and most staff are bilingual too. Some services feature multiple overhead video display units along a carriage, mostly featuring CRH promotional videos and light entertainment shows.

Unlike hard-seat cars in conventional trains, in which passengers sit facing each other (convenient for card games!), on most high-speed trains, everybody's seat faces forward. (Seats are rotatable and if your train changes its direction en route, all passengers will be asked to rotate their seats!)

Pricing

The price structure is at a set rate per kilometre according to the class of travel and G, D or C numbering of the train. The price difference for the classes is not enormous, except for Business, VIP, and Sightseeing Class which can be double in price. High-speed sleeper services, where available, have a single class for the entire train, called 动卧, which is different from (and considerably more expensive than) the hard sleeper 硬卧 and soft sleeper 软卧 on a "conventional" train.

Different high-speed trains may take different routes between two stations; e.g., some trains traveling from Nanjing to Hangzhou (and points further south) take the direct Nanjing-Hangzhou line, while others travel via Shanghai. As the fare is based on distance, the (usually faster) trains using the shorter direct route are less expensive than the (slower) trains that travel via Shanghai. Similarly, as of 2018, the 2nd-class HSR fare between Chongqing and Shanghai varies between ¥556 and ¥1078. The lowest fare is on the shortest route along the Yangtze, via Wuhan (Hankou), Hefei, and Nanjing; somewhat more expensive is the southern route, via Guiyang, Changsha, Nanjing, and Hangzhou; the most expensive route is the northern, via Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Xuzhou, and Nanjing.

The price difference between a high-speed and conventional train can be quite substantial. As an example, for the Fuzhou-Shanghai D train (seven hours and well over 1000 km) second class is ¥262 and first class is ¥330. There is a K train for only ¥130 (for a hard seat), but it takes 17 hours on a indirect route and is often very crowded, and a ticket does not always guarantee a seat. Unless your budget is extremely tight or you cannot cope with several hours in a non-smoking train, the fast train is hugely preferable and easily worth the cost difference.

As the ticket price of trains would not vary based on the demand, out of high seasons and in some long journeys such as Beijing to Guangzhou the airfare may be cheaper than a Second Class G train. Check the airfare if you are traveling for more than 1000 km between major cities and are looking for a cheaper or faster option.

Boarding your train

High-speed rail stations are designed in a similar manner to modern airports. In order to enter the departure area you will require your ticket and ID, and have to pass all your bags through an x-ray machine. While knives, fireworks, easily inflammable liquids, etc. are prohibited, there are no restrictions on bringing drinks.

The departure area at Shanghai Hongqiao Station

Your train will be clearly designated with a gate or hall, these are generally easy to find. From a large single hall, there may be quite a few gates, with large crowds waiting for various services other than your own. Sometimes the gate that a particular train is using is not displayed until just prior to departure but more typically as the previous service departs. Gate and hall numbers will bear no similarity to the platform that the train will use. Typically people will be allowed to access the platform 15 minutes before departure. The departure area can be extremely large, so like an airport allow time to get to your platform.

The departure area will have a few restaurants and shops. The larger stations will often feature western fast food chains. Small supermarkets and shops typically sell drinks, instant noodles and other snack foods. Some stations have a counter that provides one free bottle of mineral water to each ticket-holder. Lounge areas often exist for business class and VIP passengers, plus for passengers associated with several bank and mobile phone programs.

First call for your service will be often be made for elderly passengers, families with babies or infants and the disabled first. They will be processed manually by station staff before access is opened to other passengers.

The queue will be quite long at a terminal station (such as Shanghai Hongqiao) and there will be a tendency for plenty of people to push in ahead of you. You are not going to miss your train with no need to panic or rush in most circumstances. Although you can also push through if the timing is getting tight.

At the gates at the newest and more modern stations, put the blue train tickets into the slot of the automatic gate, the barriers will then open, ensure that collect your ticket again from the machine and have your ID ready before descending to the platform. Otherwise, if you have the alternative styled tickets or it is just manually controlled gate, simply hand your ticket over to station staff.

Most modern and refurbished stations have a single gate leading to a single platform. If the gate does not lead directly to the platform, the stations will use a common overpass passageway with stairways or escalators leading to their respective platforms, however train services are clearly signposted for each platform and often blocked when not in use. It is thus very difficult to take the wrong direction, despite this, older stations may have several steps up and down along its route which may be difficult for frail passengers or those with heavy luggage.

On the train some people tend to take any seat they want, although they will move if you show them your reservation for that particular seat. If such person fails to move away, you may want to report to the conductor or even railway police officers. A diagram on the wall depicts which seat is closest to the window or aisle.

During the journey

Second class seats

Example of high-speed railway meal, price normally ranging from ¥15 to ¥75

A buffet cart is available throughout the journey in all classes, which is normally more expensive than regular prices. A free hot water dispenser is provided in every carriage for passengers to use with their tea or instant noodles. A buffet car is open for the duration of the train journey with a selection of drinks, meals and snacks that can vary greatly depending on the service; you are also likely to see vendors walking through the train selling similar food products and drinks. Full restaurant style service is limited to a very few long distance trains. Complimentary bottled water and snacks are provided in First Class on a few services. Business Class passengers benefit from a free breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on the time and generally only for long-haul travellers. Many stations have vendors on the platforms as well. However time can be very limited at some stops to effectively purchase anything.

Passengers are able to order take-aways from local restaurants or fast food chains inside stations via the China Railways official website and their official app. 27 stations, including Shanghai, Nanjing, Tianjin, Guangzhou and other major cities, offer this service and it is rolling out to other stations gradually.

Smoking is illegal anywhere on the train. Smoking on trains will trigger an emergency brake of the train and lead to a fine of ¥1000 or more and maybe 5 days in jail. It is also not allowed on the platform, although it seems to be standard practice for people to take a quick smoking break just outside the train doors if the train stops for a few minutes.

In Second Class you can recline your seat a little bit. In First Class you can greatly recline your seat and shut the blinds if you want a nap. In Business Class you can fully lie down when equipped with airline style seating but only recline on some other train types. Sleeper trains have four berth cabins, equipped with bedding with passengers seated on the lower berths.

Arrival at your destination

High-speed train arriving at Beijing West station

Arriving at a destination, exiting passengers are directed to a separate exit from entering passengers on the platform that will lead to a common passageway or hall. Larger stations might have two exits either side of the station so be aware of which one is needed as the distance between either exit can be quite far, often around the entire station complex. Tickets are needed again to leave through any automated exit gates. Crumpled tickets may not work. Most exit barriers are manned for manual inspection of tickets if needed. If you have a light red ticket (not the blue ones), it will need to be checked manually upon exiting the station, as the machines will not be able to read them. There is another ticket office in this area so that you can pay the difference in case you travelled further than the ticket you originally purchased, so do not throw away your ticket!

Larger stations will feature more restaurants or shops in this area, maybe some tourism services. There is often a clean restroom before the exit gates. Probably worth taking advantage of after a long journey and before venturing out into a new Chinese city.

Often the station has a metro station located close by, then queues for the metro ticket machine can get very long after a high-speed train has just arrived. Another common feature for new high-speed stations are for long-distance bus stations to be co-located there, these can take passengers to many regional centres surrounding that city. However, do not expect buses to go to every destination you might expect (Chengdu East Station's bus terminal just serves cities mostly to the East of Chengdu for example), you might still need to travel to the older bus station in that city. Local bus services and taxis will be signposted. Beware of taxi touts and illegal operators harassing passengers as they leave the station. Only use taxis leaving from the designated area and insist on using the taximeter.

For rail travel towards Peking and other major cities before and during important events (such as military parades, annual congressional meetings, international conferences, etc.), you will be placed under secondary security screening once you have arrived at your station.

Connecting trains

If connecting to another train service at the same station, it is possible sometimes to go directly to the Waiting Hall without having to exit the station and then re-enter through security. Do not follow the crowds getting off the train and follow signs on the platform for Train Connections (Transfer), directly from the platform or in some stations from the Arrivals Hall before the exit barriers. You must show your ticket and ID for the connecting service to station staff. However it is possible for this access to not be manned or opened at many stations, thus exiting and re-entry of the station is required.

Ostani varen

China suffered a devastating accident in 2011 when a CRH train collision killed 40 and injured nearly 200. The accident was blamed on a lack of safety measures and was seen as an example of safety being sacrificed in favor of rapid development. However, speed was not a factor as the crash happened while one train was stationary and the other ran at speeds common for older trains. China has made a massive effort to recover from this, by reducing speeds by 50 km/h and completely restructuring the Chinese Rail Company. Since then there have been no further accidents or fatalities. However, given that speed was not a factor in the crash and speeds are still limited to 300 km/h instead of 350, many observers say the speed reduction had economic rather than safety reasons.

There aren't so many thieves on board the trains. But travellers are suggested to keep their valuables with them and all luggage in sight. You can also lock your larger items to the luggage compartments if you feel unsafe (though few riders do this), but you have to bring a small lock with you unless you are travelling on one of the "Fuxing" branded trains where you can lock your bags or suitcases to the compartments using your tickets.

Even faster — Maglev

Maglev train in Šanghaj

Šanghaj has a magnetic levitation train from the downtown Pudong area to Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The top speed is around 431 km/h (268 mph) during daytime hours and the 30-km trip takes around 8 minutes and costs ¥50.

International and regional routes

Poglej tudi: Hong Kong#High speed rail

The direction board of train K3/K4 running from Peking do Moskva prek Ulaanbaatar. The train service is one of the earliest international train services of China.

Hong Kong is connected to Shenzhen in Guangzhou with services running all the way to Shanghai and Beijing. This is the first 'cross border' high-speed connection in China due to Hong Kong's special status, having started public operation on 23 Sep 2018. Alternatively, one can get to Shenzhen by high-speed train, walk across the border (or connect by Shenzhen Metro) and take the Hong Kong metro (MTR) downtown.

Those riding the high-speed trains will complete both Hong Kong and mainland Chinese immigration checks at Kowloon West Railway Station. On the other hand, if you're riding the conventional trains, you will clear Hong Kong immigration at Hung Hom, and clear mainland Chinese immigration at the mainland Chinese station you end/begin your journey in. Be sure to factor in extra time to complete all these procedures.

For trains to and from Hong Kong, payment can be either in yuan or Hong Kong dollars, with the HK$ price being updated every month to be in sync with yuan pricing.

The following are international trains available:

• K3 Beijing-Ulaanbaatar-Moscow (Yaroslavsky)
• K23 Beijing-Ulanbattar
• K19 Beijing-Moscow (Yaroslavsky)
• 4652/4653 Hohhot-Ulanbattar
• K27 Beijing-Pyongyang (Please also refer to North Korea#Get in)
• T8701 Nanning-Hanoi (Gia Lam)
• K9797 Urumqi-Astana
• K9795 Urumqi-Almaty

• • China International Travel Services, 1/F, Beijing International Hotel, 9 Jianguomen Inner Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, ☏ 86-010-65120507. This is China International Travel Services' main office in Beijing. Tickets for train services K3, K19 and K23 can be bought here. Tickets should be ordered a few weeks in advance and may require a reservation fee during the summer holiday. (updated Apr 2020)

Besides, the following international trains runs from Chinese border cities to foreign cities. Not only their tickets can be purchased more easily, they are also more cheaper, and are widely used by budget travellers.

• 95 Dandong-Pyongyang
• 401 Suifenhe-Pogranichnyy
• 683 Erlian-Ulanbattar
• 601 Manzhouli-Chita
• 653 Manzhouli-Zabaykalsky