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. 48 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) handles Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou and Tianjin; Beijing West (北京西) covers Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing and the routes south, some of which leave from Beijing Fengtai (北京丰台) instead.
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 → Suzhou25 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+
- Shanghai → Xiamen5h 03m · ¥376+
- Shanghai → Zhangjiajie7h 15m · ¥753+
From Tianjin
Most intercity trains use Tianjin (天津) station downtown; some serve Tianjin West or Tianjin South.
From Xi'an
Xi'an North (西安北) takes most high-speed trains, one metro ride from the city walls; Xi'an East (西安东) opened in July 2026 and now handles some Chengdu, Chongqing and Wuhan services — check your ticket.
From Hangzhou
Hangzhou East (杭州东) handles most high-speed trains, but long-distance runs such as Xi'an often leave from Hangzhou West (杭州西), and a few use downtown Hangzhou Railway Station.
From Suzhou
Suzhou (苏州) station is the one beside the classical gardens; trains from Beijing arrive at Suzhou North (苏州北) instead, and most from Hangzhou at Suzhou South (苏州南), well out in Wujiang — check which one your ticket says.
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 West (重庆西) or Chongqing North (重庆北); a number of Chengdu trains stop at Shapingba (沙坪坝), which is closer in.
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'an6h 58m · ¥812+
- Guangzhou → Xiamen3h 01m · ¥229+
- Guangzhou → Zhangjiajie5h 21m · ¥503+
From Shenzhen
Most G trains use Shenzhen North (深圳北); a good share of Hong Kong and Guangzhou services also call at Futian (福田) right in the centre, and C intercity trains run to downtown Shenzhen Railway Station.
From Guilin
Three stations: trains from Guangzhou and Chengdu mostly use Guilin West (桂林西), those from Kunming and Shenzhen mostly Guilin North (桂林北), and a handful the central Guilin (桂林) — check which is printed on your ticket.
From Kunming
Most high-speed trains use Kunming South (昆明南), southeast of the city with a metro link into the centre; a fair few run instead into Kunming (昆明) station downtown.
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.
From Xiamen
Xiamen North (厦门北) in Jimei district takes most high-speed trains; Xiamen (厦门站) is downtown on the island, about 23 km away — both are on the metro.
From Zhangjiajie
Every high-speed train uses Zhangjiajie West (张家界西), about 8 km from the centre; the older Zhangjiajie station (张家界站) is normal-speed only.
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.