Route guides
China train routes, the practical version
Fastest times, real fares, which station to show up at — and the 15-day booking window that catches most travellers out. Each route page is verified against dated sources and embeds the ticket release date calculator. 38 routes covered so far; more added in verified batches.
Compiled from official sources by Henry · independent · based in China
Most popular routes
From Beijing
Beijing South (北京南) serves Shanghai and Tianjin trains; Beijing West (北京西) serves Xi'an.
From Shanghai
Shanghai Hongqiao (上海虹桥) is the main high-speed hub; some trains use Shanghai Railway Station downtown.
- Shanghai → Beijing4h 18m · ¥553+
- Shanghai → Hangzhou45 min · ¥47+
- Shanghai → Suzhou21 min · ¥21+
- Shanghai → Nanjing59 min · ¥55+
- Shanghai → Xi'an5h 39m · ¥659+
- Shanghai → Shenzhen7h 12m · ¥552+
- Shanghai → Guangzhou6h 14m · ¥793+
- Shanghai → Chengdu11h 11m · ¥677+
- Shanghai → Chongqing10h 36m · ¥292+
- Shanghai → Guilin7h 18m · ¥665+
From Tianjin
Most intercity trains use Tianjin (天津) station downtown; some serve Tianjin West or Tianjin South.
From Xi'an
Nearly all high-speed trains use Xi'an North (西安北), one direct metro ride from the city walls.
From Hangzhou
Most high-speed trains use Hangzhou East (杭州东); a few serve downtown Hangzhou Railway Station.
From Suzhou
Suzhou (苏州) station sits downtown on the Beijing–Shanghai line; some G trains use Suzhou North.
From Nanjing
G trains use Nanjing South (南京南); slower D trains serve downtown Nanjing Railway Station.
From Chengdu
High-speed trains to Chongqing and Xi'an leave from Chengdu East (成都东).
From Chongqing
Most high-speed arrivals use Chongqing North (重庆北) or Chongqing West (重庆西).
From Guangzhou
Most G trains use Guangzhou South (广州南), ~30–40 min from downtown by metro; some Hong Kong trains serve Guangzhou East.
- Guangzhou → Shenzhen29 min · ¥74.5+
- Guangzhou → Guilin2h 07m · ¥186+
- Guangzhou → Hong Kong47 min · ¥185+
- Guangzhou → Shanghai6h 14m · ¥793+
- Guangzhou → Chengdu7h 02m · ¥549+
- Guangzhou → Beijing7h 17m · ¥775+
- Guangzhou → Hangzhou5h 39m · ¥684+
- Guangzhou → Nanjing6h 09m · ¥697+
- Guangzhou → Xi'an7h 17m · ¥741+
From Shenzhen
G trains use Shenzhen North (深圳北); C intercity trains run to downtown Shenzhen Railway Station.
From Guilin
Three stations — Guilin, Guilin North and Guilin West — check which one is printed on your ticket.
From Kunming
High-speed trains use Kunming South (昆明南), southeast of the city; the metro runs from there into the centre.
From Hong Kong
High-speed trains use Hong Kong West Kowloon (西九龙); mainland border control happens inside the station.
From Luoyang
High-speed trains use Luoyang Longmen (洛阳龙门), on the Longmen Grottoes side of the city.
Don't see your route? We only publish routes after verifying times, fares and stations against dated sources — new batches land regularly. Meanwhile the booking-window calculator works for any route in China.
Disclaimer: Route pages show “from” fares and approximate frequencies, verified on the date shown on each page. Timetables change — always confirm on 12306 or your booking platform. Ready Set China is an independent information site: we don't sell, book or procure tickets, and we're not affiliated with China Railway or any government. We're not responsible for travel decisions made on the basis of this page.