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Train and Railway Station of China

Train and Railway Station in China

To travel around a vast country as China, taking train may be a nice choice because its affordable rate. The thing is that you have to gain a basic understanding of how this system works before make the choice of taking train.

A). Something you may feel uncomfortable with or not used to.
-Some of our guests are appalled by the scene of waiting in the lounge and checking in trains with thousands of passengers. We recommend to choose soft-sleeper. As guests with soft-sleeper tickets are privileged to have a separate waiting lounge and preferential boarding.
-People smoke even when the sigh of 'No Smoking' is available. When you are under such circumstances, you may courteously ask the smoker to stop smoking or seek help from the carriage attendant.
-The bathroom condition and facility of the train may be far under western travellers' expectation. That's why we always recommend soft-sleeper to our guests. Some cabinet with soft sleepers even provide private bathroom which is cleaner and more convenient for travellers.
-Limited English sign and English-speaking staff make you feel lost.

B). Some information you may want to know
-Accommodation classes on China's trains include hard seat, soft seat, hard sleeper, soft sleeper and luxury soft sleeper. For bullet trains, the first-class seat and second-class seat are also among the choices.
-In China, trains are classified by a capital letter which represent the speed, service, facility, cleanness, the number of stops the train will take during the journey and etc. The trains mainly fall into following categories.
D trains,ie, Multiple Unit Train or Bullet Trains, are the fastest in China with the speed at over 200 km/hr or 124 miles/hr. The carriages are air-conditioned and equipped with relatively clean washrooms.
Z trains, known as direct express trains, are the second fastest in China. Although its name indicate non-stop, some trains do make a few stops at some major stations. Most of Z trains are overnight trains with sleepers available.
T trains refer to the Express trains which will stop make several stops along the way. All major cities are accessible by taking T trains.
K trains, the fast trains, are not as modern and clean as the above train types. And it makes more stops, including stops at main counties on the way.

C). How to buy a train tickets
Normally, train tickets are accessible 10 to 20 days before the departure day.
Methods used to buy tickets are listed as below.
-Queue in line at railway station to buy train tickets on your own
Prepare train No. and accommodation class in Chinese to communicate with the staff in the railway stations as they don’t speak English. English-speaking staff is available at some large railway stations such as Beijing Railway Station and Shanghai Railway Station. We may not suggest trying this way on Chinese major holidays as you may have to queue in line for a few hours to get tickets.
-Booking through a travel agent
Most travel agents provide train ticket booking service. Service charges will be required for this service.
-Book at your hotel
Train tickets could be booked at some hotels, especially star rated hotels. \

D). Free luggage allowance and prohibited items
-Carry-on luggage
The free carry-on luggage allowance is 20 kg/44 pounds for adult and 10 kg/22 pounds for child. The total length of each item can not exceed 160 cm. The above limitation is not applicable to wheelchair, which can be brought onto the train for free. We may suggest to travel light as carry-on luggage shall be stored in your carriage and the space is limited.
-Prohibited Items
Explosive: things with explosive quality such as firecrackers.
Dangerous items and ammunition: knives, guns, offensive weapons and etc.
Compressed gases: Petroleum gas, coal gas, oxygen, hydrogen, and etc
Flammable liquids: Alcohol, retinol, multi-purpose adhesives, thinners, petrol, glass cement, paint spray, hydrogen peroxide, diesel oils, and etc
Flammable solids: sulphur, aluminium powder, camphor, and etc
Poisons: Arsenic trioxide, asphalt, emulsifier of all kinds, power pesticide, termite powder, pesticide spray, and etc

E).How to board your train
-Find the correct railway station
In big cities as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, there are at least two railway stations. Please make sure you are heading for the right railway station.
Meanwhile, check in starts 30m before the departure time if it's the starting station. Thus, it is suggested to get to the train station at least 30 minutes before the train departs. While traveling during peak seasons, 1 hour ahead of time is better. Introductions of railway stations in China's major cities.
-Enter into the railway station
Upon your arrival at the railway station, you need to go through the security control. All the luggages have to be passed through the X-ray machines in the entrance of each railway station to check for the dangerous items. You may fetch your luggages on the other side as soon as they are passed. Please note that some objects listed as above are forbidden.
-Find the right waiting lounge
In general, there are several waiting lounges in the station. So you may find the right one to wait for your train. There are electronic message boards with information in Chinese to remind passengers which is the right one for each train. If you have difficulty in finding your waiting lounge, you may ask help from a staff of the station. In most train stations, there's a separate waiting lounge with preferential bording exclusively available for passagers who have soft seat / sleeper tickets.
-Go to the platform
The announcement for check-in will be broadcasted around 10m before the departure time of the train. You will queue in line to enter the platform after the conductor checked your train.
-Board the train
Find the correct train carriage as soon as you reach the platform. An attendant who waits at the entrance of each carriage will check your ticket again. If you are boarding a wrong carriage, the attendant will show you the right one. After you enter into the carriage, find your seat or bunk,and put your luggage in place.

E). While you are on your train
-If you hold a sleeper ticket, about 30m after the train departs, you are required to change your ticket to a plastic card which will be changed back to ticket about 1h before you arrive at your destination. Please keep an eye to your belongings and keep the valuables with you whenever you are going. Do NOT leave them unattended as pickpockets are quite common on the train. Also, take care of your plastic train card.
-Dining cars, serving Chinese food, is usually available at the carriage 7, 8, 9 or 10 for guests to have meals or snacks on board. And most trains don't provide English menu and a wide selection of food except express trains Beijing/shanghai, Beijing/HK and Beijing/Xian. When it's time for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a pushcart will be wheeled along each carriage to sell all kinds of snack, drinks, lunch boxes and etc.
-Hot water is available at the end of each carriage.
-Sometimes, security will come to inspect your passport,and being more careful, write the details on their log.
-If you want to get out of the carriage to have some fresh air during stops along the way, it is advised not to wonder far from your train as the stops will not last long.
-Be prepared to cope with the crowds, noise and some inconvenience. You will find train travel much more enjoyable if you be better prepared. It is more like a chance to get to know the real Chinese people.

F). Get off your train
-After the train attendant changed your plastic card back to train ticket, you'd better be ready to get off the train. Pack all your luggage and keep your ticket well in a handy and secure place. You may need to show your ticket when you exit.