Panzhihua Railway Station

Station name and what to look for

Match the Chinese characters on your ticket to the characters above. English translations of Chinese station names vary between booking sites, but the Chinese name is the same everywhere.

About the station

Panzhihua is an industrial city on the Jinsha River in the far south of Sichuan, built around a steel industry and sitting in a deep, hot river gorge. It is the last Sichuan stop before the line crosses into Yunnan.

The climate is notably warmer than the rest of Sichuan, which makes it a winter stop for domestic travellers, and the surrounding terrain is dramatic.

The station serves conventional services on the Chengdu–Kunming route.

Getting to and from Panzhihua

The city is spread along the river and the station is a taxi ride from most accommodation. The terrain means roads switch back rather than run straight.

Onward services continue south toward Kunming and north toward Chengdu.

What catches travellers out here

• The city is built on slopes and stairs are everywhere. This is not a place to arrive with a heavy bag and no plan for getting to the door.
• Services on this line are not frequent. Check the timetable before committing to an itinerary that depends on this stop.

Other station guides in Sichuan

Before you travel

Tickets are issued against your passport and there is no paper ticket to collect for most domestic services. Read the booking guide if this is your first Chinese train, or the seat class guide if you are choosing between a hard sleeper and a soft sleeper. For the station itself, the general station guide explains how gates and boarding work at any Chinese station.