Putovanje željeznicom u Kini - Rail travel in China

COVID-19 informacija: Većina međunarodnih vlakova i vlakovi za Hong Kong su suspendirani. Usluge vlakova također se mogu obustaviti kao odgovor na lokalne epidemije. Morate nositi maske tijekom putovanja vlakovima u Kini, čak i ako u područjima u kojima putujete nije zabilježen nijedan zaražen slučaj. Ne zaboravite ažurirati zdravstveni kodovi na mobilnim aplikacijama kao što su WeChat ili Alipay u skladu s propisima na vašem odredištu.

(Podaci posljednji put ažurirani 1. siječnja 2021.)

Putovanje vlakom glavna je metoda Kineskog prijevoza na velike udaljenosti, s velikom mrežom ruta koje pokrivaju veći dio zemlje. Otprilike četvrtina ukupnog svjetskog željezničkog prometa je u Kina.

Kineska željeznička karta (kliknite za proširenje)

Kina ima najveću svjetsku mrežu brze željeznice (slično francuskim vlakovima TGV ili japanskim metkovima Shinkansen), CRH vlakova, a širenje se nastavlja mahnitim tempom. Tu je i jedina brza svjetska brzina spavači vlakovi zbog prevelikih udaljenosti. Ako vam to dopuštaju ruta i proračun, to je možda najbolji način za kretanje.

Hong Kong ima brzu željezničku postaju koja je otvorena za javnost 2018. godine. Makao uopće nema željezničku vezu, iako je Zhuhai preko granice povezan s brzom linijom.

Vrste vlakova i usluga

Kineski vlakovi podijeljeni su u različite vrste usluga označene slovima i brojevima naznačenim na karti i vlaku br.

Brzi vlakovi

Prefiksi slova na brojevima vlakova označavaju vrstu vlaka. Od najbržih do najsporijih, brzi vlakovi su:

Dva vlaka G serije na zapadnom željezničkom kolodvoru u Pekingu

• G-serija (高速 gāosù) - brzi ekspresni izleti na 300 km / h - na velikom broju brzih magistralnih linija, uključujući Pekingu–Zhengzhou–Wuhan–Guangzhou–Šenžen, Zhengzhou–Xi'an, Peking–Nanjing–Šangaj, Šangaj–Hangzhou, Nanjing – Hangzhou–Ningbo. Ovi vlakovi imaju najveću brzinu od 300 km / h (186 mph) Hexie Hao (和谐 号) (bijela ili srebrna boja s plavim pojasom) ili 350 km / h (217 mph) Fuxing Hao (mph 号) (bijela boja) sa žutim remenom ili srebrnom bojom s crvenim remenom, CR400AF, CR400BF). Međugradski vlakovi opslužuju manje stanica, uglavnom većih gradova.

Međugradski vlak Šangaj-Nanjing na željezničkoj stanici Suzhou

• C (城 际 chéngjì): Serija C (际 际 chéngjì) - brzi izričaji na kratke relacije od 200 do 300 km / h - značajni primjeri uključuju usluge iz Pekinga - Wuqinga -Tianjin–Tanggu, Shanghai South-Jinshanwei, Guangzhou-Shenzhen i Guanzhou-Zhuhai. Numeriranje serije C koristi se i za prigradske vlakove na linijama Wuhan – Xianning. Najveća brzina obično do 200 km / h, uz neke iznimke od 300 km / h.

Vlak D serije iz Harbina za Peking

Vlak D-serije za rad bez velike brzine.

• D-serija (动 车 dòngchē) - brzi brzi vlakovi od 200 km / h - Ovi vlakovi mogu postići najveću brzinu od 250 km / h (155 mph) od strane Hexie Hao (bijela boja s plavim pojasom). Međugradski vlakovi opslužuju više stanica i međugradskih gradova. Neke serije D, posebno preko noći vlakovi, mogu postići maksimalnu brzinu od 160 km / h (100 mph) Fuxingom Hao (smaragdno zelena boja sa zlatnim remenom, CR200J), a nije vlak velike brzine. Međutim, njegova se cijena još uvijek temelji na vlakovima serije D od 250 km / h.

Iako su mnoge pruge izgrađene za brzine do 350 km / h, većina vlakova vozi oko 300 km / h iz sigurnosnih razloga i troškova. Linije izgrađene do 250 km / h standardno se kreću brzinom od 200 km / h. Od rujna 2017. vlakovi koji prometuju između Pekinga i Šangaja prometovali su brzinom do 350 km / h, a više linija je postupno vraćeno u svoju dizajnersku brzinu.

Postoje neki G vlakovi čije rute uključuju linije izgrađene prema različitim standardima. U ovom slučaju trče brzinom od 300 km / h na linijama višeg standarda, a 250 km / h ili 200 km / h na linijama nižeg standarda. Cijena karte je također različita po cijeni u svakom dijelu rute u skladu s brzinom. Na primjer, trasa vlakova G od Pekinga do Taiyuan uključuju prvi dio iz Pekinga u Shijiazhuang, a drugi dio od Shijiazhuanga do Taiyuana. Prvi dio dio je brze željeznice Peking-Hong Kong, a vlak vozi brzinom od 300 km / h. Međutim, drugi dio brze željeznice Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan izgrađen je samo prema standardu od 250 km / h, tako da vlak vozi manjom brzinom, a cijena po kilometru niža je od prvog dijela. A ako se ovim vlakom vozite samo za drugi dio (na primjer, ulazak u Shijiazhuang i silazak iz Taiyuana), neće biti razlike od vlaka D ni u brzini ni u cijeni.

Konvencionalni vlakovi

Brže usluge obično znače veće cijene, ali vlakovi serije Z, T i K cijene su na istoj osnovi. Vlakovi samo s brojevima imaju najnižu cijenu. Neki brojevi samo vlakova i vrlo malo K vlakova nisu opremljeni klima uređajima, a cijene su im znatno niže.

Prije 2014. godine bilo je moguće identificirati različite vrste vlakova promatrajući boju putničkih automobila. Međutim, od 2015. godine svi su osobni automobili obojeni u zeleno, što je gotovo nemoguće učiniti.

• Z-serija (直达 zhídá) - Izravni brzi vlakovi, konvencionalne brzine s manje zaustavljanja s najvećom brzinom od oko 160 km / h (100 mph). Ranije Z-serije još uvijek nemaju međuzaustavljanja, dok novije mogu imati više zaustavljanja. Neki vlakovi nude samo mekane pragove. Neke su, posebno Z-serije koje prometuju između većih gradova, nadograđene na ne-brze vlakove D-serije.
• T-serija (特快 tèkuài) - 140 km / h međugradski vlakovi koji saobraćaju samo u većim gradovima. Slično Z-vlakovima iako se obično zaustavljaju na više stanica.
• K-serija (快速 kuàisù) - 120 km / h sporiji, jeftiniji i gužviji vlakovi s više zaustavljanja. Najčešće gledana serija, pozivi na više stanica od T-vlaka i više tvrdo prespavanih sjedala.
• Opći brzi vlakovi (普快 pǔkuài) - vlakovi 120 km / h, bez slovne oznake, četveroznamenkaste oznake počinju s 1–5. Ti su vlakovi najjeftiniji i najsporiji dugolinijski vlakovi, iako je većina ili nadograđena ili otkazana. Istaknuti primjer bit će vlak 1461/1462 koji prometuje od Pekinga do Šangaja.
• Generalni vlakovi (普 客 pǔkè) - vlakovi kratkih udaljenost 100 km / h bez slovne oznake, četveroznamenkasti započinju s 5, 6 ili 7. Najsporiji vlakovi, zaustavljaju se gotovo svugdje.
• Putovanje vlakovima (通勤 tōngqín) / Uslužni vlakovi (路 用 lùyòng) - četiri znamenke započinju s 8, odnosno pet znamenki započinje s 57, sporih lokalnih vlakova, koje uglavnom koristi željezničko osoblje. Obično ne prodaju kartu putnicima.
• L-serija (临时 línshí) - sezonski vlakovi prikladni za K- ili četveroznamenkaste serije.
• Y-serija (旅游 lǚyóu) - vlakovi koji prvenstveno opslužuju turističke grupe.
• S-serija (市郊 shìjiāo) - vlakovi voze do / iz predgrađa oko velikih gradova.

Nastava

Razredi brzih vlakova

CRH vlakovi obično imaju pet klasa:

• Drugi razred (二等 座 erdengzuo) (Raspored za 2 sjedala). Sjedala su pomalo uska, ali prostora za noge ima dovoljno.
• Prvi razred (一等 座 yidengzuo) (2 2 izgleda)
• Tri VIP klasaes (2 1 raspored odmah iza vozačeve kabine):
  • "商务 座" (poslovna klasa). Sjedala koja se potpuno zavaljuju u ležeći krevet.
  • "观光 座" (čas razgleda).
  • "特等 座" (deluxe klasa).

商务 座 (poslovna klasa) je bolja od „一等 座“ (prva klasa) u CRH vlakovima. Cijene 商务 座 (poslovna klasa) i 观光 座 (klasa razgledavanja) imaju istu cijenu, dok je 特等 座 obično skuplji od „一等 座“ (prva klasa), ali jeftiniji od 商务 座 i 观光 座.

Ako je vaše putovanje kraće od 2 sata, nećete primijetiti veliku razliku u drugoj klasi, iako će dulja putovanja biti manje zamorna u prvoj klasi. Veliki ljudi možda više vole prvu klasu jer su sjedala osjetno šira.

Drugi razred: Nešto čvršća, ali ne neugodna sjedala u rasporedu 2 3. Nešto manje mjesta između redova sjedala. Vjerojatnije će imati stojeće vlasnike karata u prolazima, ali ne toliko ili gužve kao konvencionalni vlakovi u Kini. Možda su dostupne utičnice. Kolica s hranom poslužuju ove kočije, ali možda nisu tako česta. Razlika između prvog i drugog razreda je neznatna i ogleda se u manjoj razlici u cijeni karte.

Tipično sjedište prve klase

Prvi razred: Sadrže udobna sjedala u rasporedu 2 2 s uglavnom sjedištima okrenutim prema naprijed. Međutim, neka mjesta mogu se naći u aranžmanu licem u lice preko stola. Sjedeće dijeljenje dostupno je na drugim uslugama. To se razlikuje od vrste vlaka. Položaji za sjedenje ne mogu se odabrati prilikom kupnje karte. Redovi sjedala imaju veći prostor za noge i veće stolove za naslone sjedala. Kolica za hranu često kupuju automobil, a švedski stol također je u blizini. Utičnice su obično dostupne na većini usluga, ali ne na svim, mogu se nalaziti na osnovi sjedala ili iznad glave s donje strane prtljažnika.

VIP klasa: Ova se sjedala prodaju pod raznim imenima na raznim linijama, a najčešće su razgledavanje znamenitosti, VIP ili poslovna klasa. Nisu dostupni na svakoj liniji, a na raspolaganju je samo nekoliko mjesta. Mnogi se temelje na modernim zrakoplovnim sjedalima poslovne klase, ali neka su samo standardna sjedala prve klase u privilegiranijem položaju, obično su odmah iza vozačkog prostora, sa staklenim zidom koji omogućuje pogled prema vlaku. Međutim, ovo se staklo često zamrzne kako bi se izbjeglo da putnici ometaju vozača. Sjedala su obično raspoređena u rasporedu 21, ali na nekim službama može se naći 22 mjesta za sjedenje, ovisno o raspoloživom prostoru na različitim vrstama vlakova. Kompaktna sjedala poslovne klase nalaze se na samo nekoliko vlakova. Polaznik je osiguran isključivo za potrebe putnika u poslovnoj klasi, a obrok, pakiranje grickalica i bezalkoholno piće poslužuju se izravno na sjedalima koja su uključena u cijenu. Papuče su također dostupne i za putničku upotrebu. Utičnice su dostupne na svakom sjedalu.

Interijer spavaćeg automobila CRH2E

Spavaća klasa (动 卧 dòngwò): Postoji nekoliko sporijih brzih vlakova s ​​brojevima D koji preko noći prometuju preko kineske mreže. Tipično su ove usluge između većih središta stanovništva s 5 do 8 sati putovanja između njih, a imaju nekoliko stanica. Vlakovi su podijeljeni u kabine s 4 kreveta, opremljene prema standardima mekih spavaćih kabina konvencionalnih kineskih vlakova, s osiguranom posteljinom. Na tim uslugama nema dostupnih drugih sjedećih mjesta ili nivoa kreveta. Nije moguće jednokrevetni boravak u pretincu, a sve karte moraju se kupiti s osobnom iskaznicom ili putovnicom, što otežava i ne isplati se kupovati dodatne krevete u pretincu zbog privatnosti. Pokazalo se da ove usluge nisu toliko popularne kao ostale brze usluge, ali nekoliko promocija i sve veći broj dostupnih usluga polako to mijenjaju. Jedna usluga u svakom smjeru obično vozi između Pekinga i Šangaja, Šangaja i Guangzhoua. Šest noćenja u novijem smjeru kreće se od Pekinga do Guangzhoua, neki nastavljaju prema Shenzhenu, a jedan prema Zhuhaiju. Dodatne usluge često se zakazuju u drugim gradovima tijekom razdoblja najveće potražnje, poput Proljetnog festivala.

Konvencionalni tečajevi vlakova

U konvencionalnim (ne-CRH) vlakovima postoji pet klasa putovanja:

Mekani pretinac za T-vlak

Tvrdi pretinac za spavanje na Z-vlaku

• Mekani pragovi (软卧 ruǎnwò) najudobniji su način prijevoza u većini vlakova i još uvijek su relativno jeftini prema zapadnim standardima. Mekani pretinci za spavanje sadrže četiri kreveta naslonjena dva na stup, zasunna vrata za privatnost i prilično su prostrani. Ni ovaj razred nije toliko udoban kao hotelska soba.
• Tvrdi pragovi (硬卧 yìngwò), s druge strane, imaju tri kreveta po koloni u blizini otvora za hodnik. Najviši krevet ostavlja malo prostora za glavu. Viši putnici (190 cm / 6'3 "i više) mogu smatrati da je ovo najbolje krevet jer će vam se noge tijekom spavanja protezati u prolaz i neće ih naletjeti. Gornje krevet je korisno i ljudima koji imaju stvari za skrivanje (npr. fotoaparati). Kad ih postavite uz glavu, do potencijalnih lopova je teže doći. "Tvrdi" spavač nije "tvrd"; kreveti imaju madrac i općenito su prilično udobni. Svi spavači imaju jastuke i pokrivač .

U bilo kojoj klasi spavača, ulazak u vlak sa srednje stanice znači da ćete možda morati spavati na istom krevetu koji koristi zadnji putnik bez usluge čišćenja. Donošenje pokrivača jednokratne pokrivača može biti dobra opcija.

• Meka sjedala (软座 ruǎnzuò) presvučena su platnom, uglavnom zavaljena sjedala i posebna su kategorija koju ćete rijetko pronaći. Dostupni su samo u dnevnim vlakovima između odredišta s otprilike 4–8 sati putovanja.

Unutar suvremenog trenera s tvrdim sjedalima

• Tvrda sjedala (硬座 yìngzuò), koji su zapravo podstavljeni, nisu za svakoga, pogotovo preko noći, jer su široki 5 sjedala, u aranžmanu od tri i dva. Međutim, u ovu klasu putuje većina ruksačke rulje. Uz natpise "zabranjeno pušenje" u glavnom dijelu automobila, na krajevima automobila uvijek je gužva pušača i dim će beskrajno odlaziti u kabinu. Na većini vlakova, posebno u unutrašnjosti Kine, prostor između vagona označeno je kao prostor za pušenje, iako su znakovi za "određeno mjesto za pušenje" samo na kineskom, tako da mnogim putnicima ta činjenica možda neće biti jasna. Preko noći u tvrdom sjedištu neugodno je gotovo svima i vjerojatno ćete imati problema s puno spavanja.
• Stajati (无 座 wúzuò) omogućuju pristup automobilu s tvrdim sjedištem, ali ne daju rezervaciju mjesta. Razmislite o nošenju stolice s tronošcem u ruksaku kako biste takva putovanja učinili ugodnijima. Ovo je obično jedina klasa koja se pruža u prigradskim vlakovima. Možete odabrati zauzeti mjesto kada postoji jedno mjesto, ali po potrebi vratite ga vlasniku.

Neke druge moguće klase u vlakovima suː

• Mekani spavači visoke klase (高级 软卧 / 高 包 gāojí ruǎnwó) su najviše klase dostupne na vlakovima koji nisu CRH. Odjeljci obično sadrže dva kreveta (ponekad samo jedan), zasunna vrata za privatnost, a ponekad i ormar, fotelju. Rijetki od njih sadrže toalete u pretincima. Obično ugodno poput hotelske sobe. Međutim, većina vlakova nema ovu klasu.
• Nije rezervirano (不对 号 入座 búduìhàorùzùo) dopustiti pristup vlaku, ali nije rezerviran za mjesto. To se obično vidi kod prigradskih vlakova čiji brojevi sjedala nisu navedeni. Samo odaberite mjesto koje vam se sviđa i sjednite na njega ili stojte u sigurnom i udobnom položaju.

Većina vlakova je klimatizirana. Neklimatizirani vlakovi su rijetki i uglavnom su to vlakovi općenito.

Rezervacija karata

Kineska karta za vlak s poljima opisa

Prodaja željezničkih karata obično započinje 20 dana unaprijed, bilo putem interneta putem web stranice za rezervaciju China Rail ili na blagajnama glavnih željezničkih stanica. Dva dana kasnije karte se mogu kupiti u privatnim agencijama.

Uobičajeno oko festivala, ulaznice se vrlo brzo prodaju, pa rezervirajte karte što je moguće unaprijed. Kupnja rabljenih karata ilegalno je, pa ako vam se na kolodvoru ponude karte s popustom, učinite to ne kupi ih.

Ulaznica za kineski brzi vlak

Alternativni stil karata koji se često nalazi u Kini

Ulaznicu možete kupiti:

1. s web stranice.
2. na biletarnici na željezničkoj stanici
3. iz automatiziranog automata za prodaju karata
4. u agenciji za prodaju karata

Prva se opcija preporučuje zbog praktičnosti.

1. Kupnja s web mjesta (preporučeno)

Ulaznice se mogu rezervirati putem Interneta na raznim web stranicama. Za rezervacije je potreban broj putovnice. Nakon rezervacije karata morate ili pokupiti ispisanu kartu na biletarnici na željezničkoj stanici prije polaska ili otisnutu kartu unaprijed dostaviti na svoje mjesto. Loša strana unaprijed dobivene karte je što se vrijeme polaska ne može mijenjati nakon ispisa karte. Međutim, toplo se preporučuje da karte nabavite unaprijed kako biste poštedjeli stresa čekanja u dugom redu na kolodvoru kako biste preuzeli kartu neposredno prije polaska. Usluge poput Trip.com dodaju 40 JPY da bi se karta unaprijed dostavila brzom poštom.

Čak i ako planirate kupiti ulaznice na biletarnici, vrijedi provjeriti ove stranice radi planiranja. Mnogi gradovi imaju više CR stanica, a provjera rasporeda i slobodnog kapaciteta pomoći će vam da odaberete najbolju za svoje odredište.

Službena stranica za rezervacije

Web stranica China Rail službeni je i jedini konačni mrežni izvor za vozne redove vlakova, dostupnost karata i internetske rezervacije.

Ulaznice je moguće rezervirati putem web stranice; međutim, morate imati Kineski bankovni račun da im platim. Iako vjerojatno nećete moći sami rezervirati karte, traženje od kineskog prijatelja da to učini umjesto vas jedan je od najprikladnijih načina unaprijed nabaviti karte: karte prvo postanu dostupne na mreži prije nego što se prodaju u agencijama, a vi ne ' tijekom rezervacije ne mora predočiti putovnicu svakog putnika (samo pripremite sve brojeve putovnica). Karte se tada mogu podići bilo kada, uz predočenje putovnice, na bilo kojoj željezničkoj stanici ili u agenciji za prodaju karata.

Dostupna je samo na kineskom, ali nije teška za upotrebu ako možete pročitati neke kineske znakove. Da biste se raspitali o voznim redovima vlakova ili dostupnosti karata, kliknite "余 票 查询" (yu piao cha xun, preostali upit za kartu) na naslovnoj stranici. Unesite podrijetlo, odredište i datum (sučelje će prihvatiti pinyin i prikazat će vam odgovarajuće kineske znakove za odabir), a zatim kliknite "查询" (cha xun, upit).

Tada će vam se prikazati matrica vlakova koji putuju tog dana i preostalih karata.

• 车次: Ovaj stupac prikazuje broj vlaka.
• 出发 站 / 到达 站: Podrijetlo i odredište vlaka. U svaki grad može se dodati sufiks koji označava željezničku postaju. Ovo je obično jedan od 北 (bei, sjever), 南 (nan, jug), 东 (dong, istok), 西 (xi, zapad), npr. 北京 西 je željeznička stanica Peking West. Ovi sufiksi posebno su česti kod CRH vlakova, jer se često odvajaju od redovnih vlakova.
• 出发 时间 / 到达 时间: Vrijeme polaska i dolaska.
• 历时: Trajanje putovanja, prikazano kao "XX 小时 YY 分", gdje je XX broj sati, a YY broj minuta. Ispod nje naznačen je broj dana: 当日 到达 (dolazak istog dana), 次日 到达 (dolazak sljedeći dan), 第三 日 到达 (dolazak dva dana kasnije).
• Ostatak stupaca odgovara različitim razredima i prikazuje iznos preostalih karata. "Nema dostupnih ulaznica" prikazuje se kao "无" (wu), inače se prikazuje broj preostalih ulaznica. Klikom na nju otkrit će se cijena karte. Provjerite gornje podatke kako biste shvatili različite dostupne vrste vlakova i klase. Kada pretražujete daleko unaprijed, može se prikazati doba dana, koje zatim pokazuje u koje vrijeme karte postaju dostupne za kupnju.

Web mjesto ima malo reputacije kao sporo i nepouzdano. Međutim, to se uglavnom odnosi na vremena poput kineske Nove godine, gdje se ulaznice prodaju u sekundi i generira se teret koji bi gotovo svaku web stranicu bacio na koljena.

Web stranice trećih strana

• MTR brza željeznička web stranica. Hong Kong MTR nudi karte za brze vlakove do / od kolodvora Hong Kong West Kowloon. Prihvaća Visa, MasterCard ili Union Pay, a karte kupljene s ove stranice moraju se preuzeti na kolodvoru Hong Kong West Kowloon. Bez naknade. 
• PandaTrips.com. Internetska stranica za rezervaciju karata za vlak u Kini na engleskom jeziku, u 3 koraka, lako za rezervaciju karata.
• Web stranica Trip.com (prije Ctrip). Rezervirajte karte za vlak putem interneta na 19 jezika. 
• CTrip. Kineska stranica za putovanja s engleskom verzijom i engleskom mobilnom aplikacijom koja vam omogućuje pregled redova vožnje, rezerviranje konvencionalnih i brzih vlakova od 20 dana do 30 minuta prije polaska. U aplikaciji ćete morati registrirati podatke o putovnici. Kupon za kupnju karte za vlak bit će poslan aplikaciji dva sata nakon kupnje. Pokažite ovo osoblju stanice na blagajni sa putovnicom da preuzmu kartu za vlak. Prihvaća međunarodne kreditne / debitne kartice, uključujući American Express. (ažurirano travnja 2017)
• CTrains.com prva je internetska stranica za internetske rezervacije karata za vlak u Kini za engleske korisnike. Putnici mogu rezervirati kineske karte za vlak putem interneta u stvarnom vremenu 24/7. Također ne naplaćuje nikakve naknade za rezervaciju.
• Web stranica Čovjek na sjedalu 61 ima dobru dionicu o kineskim vlakovima.
• Apsolutne kineske ture ili Izdvajamo iz Kine imate informacije o engleskom vremenu i cijenama karte (iako su izuzetno korisne, popisi ovih web stranica nisu 100% potpuni)
• OK Putovanje^{[mrtva veza]} ima više rasporeda. Ova je web lokacija uglavnom na kineskom, ali uključuje romanizirana imena mjesta i možete je koristiti bez znanja kineskog jezika. Na stranici za pretraživanje jednostavno odaberite s popisa: lijeva je mjesto polaska, desna je odredište. Morate odabrati pokrajine ili regije u padajućem okviru prije nego što se pojavi odgovarajući popis gradova. Odaberite gradove koje želite, a zatim pritisnite lijevu tipku ispod (označeno sa 确认, "potvrdi") da biste izvršili pretragu. Ako imena mjesta možete unijeti u kineskim znakovima, funkcija pretraživanja može vam čak pomoći u planiranju putovanja s više krakova.
• CNVOL ima opsežan (prilično iscrpan) i često ažurirani popis svih vlakova koji putuju u Kini. Samo unesite imena mjesta s kojima započinjete i završavate svoje putovanje i pronaći ćete popis svih vlakova koji voze rutom (uključujući sve vlakove koji upravo prolaze pored odabranih stanica), navedena s njihovim početkom i krajem gradovi i vremena. Kliknite broj vlaka koji vam se sviđa i možete pronaći cijene svih klasa sjedala ili ležajeva koji su dostupni klikom na "provjeri cijenu" niže po cijeni. Ovdje je najvažnije pravilno napisati imena svojih gradova u "pinyin", likovi nikada nisu odvojeni razmakom, tj. Lijiang, Peking, Šangaj, Shenzhen, Kunming itd.

2. Kupnja na blagajni željezničke stanice

(Tiha) blagajna na južnom kolodvoru Guangzhou

Svaka će stanica imati jednu ili više blagajni gdje možete staviti u red i kupiti kartu. Može se očekivati ​​sigurnosna kontrolna točka za skeniranje vaše prtljage na ulazu u biletarnice na najvećim postajama. Mogu biti vrlo gužve, s dugim redovima i malo natpisa na engleskom jeziku. Međutim, veliki elektronički natpisi, iznad prozora za karte, prikazivat će sljedeće vlakove koji su na rasporedu na toj stanici i još uvijek dostupna mjesta u svakoj klasi za sljedećih nekoliko dana. Policajac će samo željeti znati vaše odredište i pružiti vam sljedeće vlakove i dostupnu klasu sjedala. Na najvećim postajama može se osigurati poseban prozor za ulaznice za strance. Posebni redovi mogu biti namijenjeni za povrat karata, razmjenu ili samo za starije građane s malo engleskih podataka koji objašnjavaju koja je linija. Može biti moguće da se pridružite pogrešnom redu i da vas osoblje odbije uslužiti. Blagajne željezničkih stanica sada mogu prodavati karte koje polaze s drugih kolodvora diljem Kine i prometuju u drugim željezničkim uredima uz dodatnu naknadu od ¥ 5 po kartu.

Ulaznice se obično plaćaju gotovinom, iako neki šalteri prihvaćaju UnionPay kartice. Strane kreditne kartice korisne su samo na glavnim postajama u najvećim gradovima.

Općenito, ako odete na šalter za kupnju karata, uštedjet ćete svima puno gnjavaže ako imate zapisan broj vlaka, datum i vrijeme polaska, klasu sjedala i broj karata, kao i gradove polazišta i odredišta. dolje na kineskom ili barem na pinjinu. Osoblje obično ne govori engleski jezik, a na željezničkim postajama neće imati puno strpljenja jer su obično redovi dugi.

3. Kupnja iz automatiziranog automata za prodaju karata

Automati za karte na zapadnom željezničkom kolodvoru u Pekingu

Kraće redove možete pronaći na automatiziranim automatima za prodaju karata. Iako ima mogućnost prikazivanja podataka na engleskom jeziku, on može prodavati karte samo vlasnicima kineskih osobnih iskaznica. Strojevi mogu uzeti, iako mnogi samo prihvaćaju UnionPay kartice ili gotovinu. Obično su pored biletarnice. Neki automatizirani automati za prodaju karata odnose se samo na određenu liniju ili regionalno područje mreže, ali to je obično jasno označeno i prikazano na uređaju. Unatoč ograničenjima, još uvijek su korisni za brzo pronalazak reda vožnje vlakova i dostupnosti karata na engleskom jeziku prije nego što se pridruže redu za karte.

4. Kupnja u agenciji ili uredu za vozovnice

Mnogi će gradovi imati nekoliko zasebnih blagajni ili agencija za prodaju vlakova. Mogu biti poput velike trgovine, tipične u mnogim turističkim agencijama ili velikim hotelima, ali češće mogu biti jednostavni aranžman "rupa u zidu". Tipično nisu gužve, obično uopće nemaju linije i povoljnije su smještene od mnogih željezničkih stanica. Međutim, jezične vještine ovih agencija nedostajat će. Pronaći ured može biti teško, zbog njihove često male veličine i samo kineskih natpisa, pripazite na logotip CRH-a ili Kineske željeznice ili jednostavno na popis brojeva vlakova pored prozora. Djeluju na isti način kao i blagajna željezničkog kolodvora, ali naplaćuju dodatnih ¥ 5 po kartu kao agencijsku naknadu. Ovo je mala cijena zbog praktičnosti.

Male prodavaonice karata razbacane po gradovima nose oznaku "售 火车票" (shou huo che piao). Turističke agencije prihvatit će novac i rezervacije za karte unaprijed, ali nitko ne može jamčiti za vašu kartu dok ih kolodvor ne pusti na tržište, a tada će vaša agencija otići i kupiti kartu koju su vam "zajamčili". To vrijedi za bilo gdje u Kini.

Zamjena izgubljenih karata

Ako ste izgubili kartu, da biste zatražili zamjenu, idite na blagajnu s putovnicom ili osobnom iskaznicom. Pronađite specijalizirani prozor blagajne koji se bavi izgubljenim kartama (挂失, guàshī). Izvoznik će otkazati vašu izgubljenu kartu, a vi ćete kupiti novu zamjensku kartu za istu cijenu. Na brodu obavijestite konduktera da je vaša karta zamjena. Kondukter će otvoriti elektronički zapis koji će vam omogućiti povrat novca na vašoj odredišnoj stanici. U roku od 24 sata od dolaska na odredišnu stanicu osobno idite sa putovnicom ili osobnom iskaznicom i zamjenskom kartom do prozora blagajne koji obrađuju povrat novca (退票 处, tuìpiào chǔ). Povrat se plaća na prozoru u gotovini umanjenoj za naknadu od ¥ 2.

Savjeti

• Ako ne uspijete kupiti izravnu kartu (pogotovo kad su vlakovi pretrpani), pokušajte podijeli svoje putovanje na 2 komada ili više. Vožnja vlakovima uistinu je popularan način putovanja na kratke udaljenosti u Kini, a karte za kraće udaljenosti obično je puno lakše kupiti od onih na duge staze. Međutim, malo vjerojatna kašnjenja vlaka mogu vas zaustaviti u vlaku i lako mogu propustiti propuštanje povezanog. Ako putujete na daljinu sljedećim vlakom, propuštanje vlaka može biti prilično oku privlačno skupo iskustvo. Stoga uzmite u obzir rizik od nestanka vlakova i pokušajte napraviti povezano putovanje kraćim od prvog.
• Ako idete u mali grad usred linije umjesto na njegove krajeve, sustav rezervacija smanjit će broj karata na tim postajama i više karata za veće. Željeznički sustav omogućava putniku da izađe ili se popne na srednjoj stanici. Pa možete produžiti vašu kartu za kraće putovanje ili "Kupujte duže i vozite kraće", poznato kineskim putnicima i željezničarima. Nešto će koštati više, ali puno bolje od neuspjeha u dobivanju karte.
• Ako putujete kao grupa (s obitelji, prijateljima i tako dalje), sustav će vas smjestiti samo na najbliža sjedala. Dakle, ako ne uspijete dobiti kartu na ovaj način (obično na web mjestu), pokušajte podijeliti grupu u samce i to će biti puno lakše. Kako ste u vlaku možda odvojeni, možete promijeniti sjedala s ostalim putnicima. Većini njih neće smetati da promijene sjedala, ali neki mogu zatražiti da platite razlike u cijenama (na primjer jaz između gornjeg i donjeg kreveta). Pogledajte cijene prikazane na njegovoj / njezinoj ulaznici i očekujte malo dodatnih novaca. Uvijek budite zahvalni ako netko pristane da promijenite sjedala i pomozite mu ako pokušava premjestiti svoju prtljagu što će pokazati ljudima da ste ljubazni i vjerojatnije ćete dobiti odgovor "Da". Pokušajte ne dopustiti starijoj osobi koja ima više od 55 godina da se presvuče na gornje krevete na koje je možda teško popeti se.
• Ako dolazite u grad s CRH vezom, pokušajte rezervirati za CRH uslugu, a ne za obične vlakove, što znači skuplju cenu, ali puno lakše doći do karata. Mnogo je više međugradskih brzih usluga, a ne uobičajenih. Ponekad će karta CRH biti jeftinija od običnog vlaka u sezonama s popustima. Kada to radite, prvo biste trebali odabrati CRH stanicu (na primjer, kada rezervirate od Pekinga do Šangaja, promijenite stanice u Peking Jug i Šangaj Hongqiao koji pružaju samo brze usluge.

Željezničke stanice

Bilješka: Kineske željezničke stanice tradicionalno su žarišta džeparoša, prevaranata i drugih kriminalaca. Policija dobro kontrolira veće stanice, kako unutar tako i izvan njih, ali budite posebno oprezni u manjim postajama.

Mnogi gradovi imaju različite stanice za normalne vlakove i brze vlakove. Nazivi stanica za velike brzine obično se sastoje od imena grada i kardinalnog smjera (na primjer Héngyángdōng "Hengyang Istok").

Kineske željezničke stanice funkcioniraju više poput zračne luke nego kao željeznička stanica u drugoj zemlji. Stoga ne računajte da ćete u zadnji tren uhvatiti vlak - vrata se zatvaraju nekoliko minuta prije polaska! Da biste bili sigurni, budite tamo barem 20 minuta ranije ili 30 minuta ako ulazite u veliku željezničku stanicu.

Morate proći početnu kartu i sigurnosnu provjeru da biste ušli u stanicu. Kad uđete u polaznu dvoranu, slijedite ploče s digitalnim pokazivačima kako biste pronašli prava ulazna vrata (trebala bi biti na engleskom i kineskom, barem na CRH postajama; ako je dostupan samo kineski, i dalje ćete moći pronaći broj željezničke službe) koji je otisnut na vrhu vaše ulaznice). Pričekajte u čekaonici blizu vrata, dok se ukrcaj ne najavi oko 10-20 minuta prije polaska. Zatim ćete proći provjeru karte (pripremite putovnicu jer je možda žele vidjeti) i slijedite mnoštvo do perona. Postoje dvije vrste karata: crvene papirnate karte koje se izdaju u agencijama za prodaju karata i plave magnetske karte koje dobivate na blagajni stanice. Plave ulaznice idu u jednu od automatiziranih kapija, dok se crvene karte provjeravaju ručno; svakako prođite kroz vrata na pravom mjestu.

Na peronu vlak možda već čeka; u suprotnom potražite broj svog automobila napisan na rubu perona i pazite da čekate na pravom mjestu, jer će se vlak često zaustaviti samo na nekoliko minuta. 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; u 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.

Brza željeznica

Kina 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. Međutim, 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). Iz 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 Pekingu 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.

Ostati siguran

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 Shanghai

Shanghai 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

Vidi također: Hong Kong#High speed rail

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

Hong Kong is connected to Shenzhen i 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