China Railway Station Guides
40 station guides for foreign travellers — the Chinese name to look for, which trains use each station, how to get into town, and the specific thing that goes wrong at each one.
Why station names matter
Chinese cities often have several railway stations, named by direction or district: Beijing South, Shanghai Hongqiao, Chengdu East. They are separate buildings, sometimes an hour apart, and a ticket for one is not valid at another. Most "I missed my train in China" stories are really "I went to the wrong station" stories.
Each guide below leads with the Chinese characters for the station, because that is the one thing that is identical on your ticket, on the platform sign and on the departure board.
Beijing
Shanghai
Shaanxi
Gansu
Qinghai
Tibet
Sichuan
Chongqing
Guizhou
Ningxia
Planning the journey
How to book a Chinese train ticket · Seat classes explained · Changes and refunds · Onboard tips
Direct train connections between Chinese cities — check whether two cities are linked without changing trains.