Intercultural Exchange : Transportation in China

Transportation in China

This is a big title in which I will first introduce something about trains in this page.

Train

Chinese trains are divided according to their speed into various classes, identified with different letters and numbers. The letters refer to different classes:

G – High-Speed Electric Multiple Units (EMU) Train

This is the fastest running for long distance in China, the top speed of which could reach 350km/h. Currently, the G-train could finish the 1,068-kilometers Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway in 3 hours, the 301-kilometers Shanghai-Nanjing High-Speed Railway in 73 minutes and the 458-kilometers Zhengzhou-Xian High-Speed Railway in 2 hours.

C – Intercity EMU

This is also the fastest kind, but runs for short travel distance between two nearby cities, such as the 120-kilomter's Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway.

D – Electric Multiple Units (EMU)

This type is also called Hexiehao (和谐号, Harmony) or bullet trains in China. The designed top speed is 250km/h. They have been widely used for serving fast and frequent transport between main cities, such as Beijing-Shanghai, Shanghai-Suzhou and Shenzhen-Guangzhou.

Z – Direct Express

This type with a top speed of 160km/h is also an efficient transport for long-distance travel. Generally, they run directly to the destination or with some stops on the way. On the other hand, some are equipped with only soft-sleepers and soft-seats.

T – Express

This kind has limited stops on the routes, mainly in these major cities. The highest speed is 140km/h. Almost every T-series is equipped with soft-sleeper, soft-seat, hard-sleeper and hard-seat.

K – Fast

This series with a top speed of 120km/h has more stops than the T ones. They are equipped with air-condition and the four classes of berths.

Accommodation Fast

The numbers are identified with four digits and usually start with 1, 2, 4 or 5. Its highest speed is 120km/h but runs slower than the K-series as a result of more stops on the way. Currently, most of this kind are equipped with air-condition.

Accommodation

With 100km/h's highest speed, this should be the slowest type, having as many stops as possible. They are also numbered with four digits and start with 6, 7, 8 or 9. Most of them are green trains without air-condition.

Commuter Train

These are specially taken by railway staffs, so they are not opened to public passengers.

L – Temporary

This series is in operation only during the peak travel time, such Chinese Spring Festival and the National Holiday. They will not be listed in the official fixed schedule. It is not advised to take this type if you have other options as they are routinely subject to delays.

Y – Tourist

This type is for the convenience of tourist and their destinations are the popular tourism cities. For example, there are Y-trains departing between Beijing and Qinhuangdao. Its speed is the same as the accommodation type.

S – Suburban

Running at 100km/h as the highest speed, this type is used for communicating city center and the suburban areas. It has no soft seats and sleeper berths as it only travels within short distance in day times. Currently, the S2 series travel between Beijing North Railway Station and the Yanqing County in the northern suburb of the city with stops at Qinghuayuan, Nankou, and Badaling Great Wall.

As to train tickets, there are mianly two kinds now, one is in red colour and the other is in blue colour. The difference maybe that when we take trains like D, G and C, we will more often get blue ones. And Chinese train tickets are issued in Chinese characters, they should be double checked. Every journey needs one ticket, so if you travel from Guangzhou to Shanghai and then form Shanghai to Beijing, you need to buy two tickets. On the tickets, you can see your name now, because we think it is safe to have names on tickets, then other people can not use your tickets even if they get them.

Graphic illustration of a soft-sleeper ticket

And there are four classes of Chinese trains: Soft seat, soft sleeper, hard seat and hard sleeper. The tickets of Soft Seat & Hard Seat of China Trains are normally available on daytime inter-city trains. The price of Soft seat tickets is more expensive than that of Hard seat ones.

Hard Seat

Soft Seat

And Hard sleeper of China trains are in bays of 6 bunks (upper, middle and lower) on one side of the aisle, with pairs of seats on the other side of the aisle for daytime use.

While Soft sleeper of China trains are 4-berth compartments with full bedding provided. Soft sleeper is more expensive than hard sleeper.

4-berth sleeper compartment

Trains with the C, D, G head do not have soft or hard sleeper because they are extremely fast, so they just have seats like First Class seat and Second Class seat.

First Class seat

Second Class seat

On some of the trains, there are 2-berth deluxe sleeper compartments available with upper & lower berths on one side of the compartment, and a wardrobe and armchair on the other side. It also has a private toilet &

washroom.

2-berth deluxe sleeper compartment

Most overnight long-distance China trains have a restaurant car serving full meals. Generally there is one toilet (either western or Chinese squatting style) available on one car, but it is necessary to take your own tissue. Because China is a very big country, it will take a long time to take a train if you travel from one place to another. But it is very cheap and actually maybe an unforgettable experience for you.

Washroom of China train