Travel Tips for Catching Your Train
Check your train ticket or consult with your ticketing agent to make sure that you get the correct train station.
You will be allowed on board the train 30 minutes before departure time. The train will be closed 5 minutes before departure. So please well plan your time for the transfer from your hotel to the station taking the traffic snag into consideration.
You are requested to go through the security check (luggage check) when you enter the main hall of the train station.
Once you are in the main hall, please see the huge live train timetable board to get the correct waiting room for your departure train.
In the waiting room, very often you have to stand waiting there for the coming train since usually there will be very much crowded and no seats are available.
Line up for the ticket check by the ticket collectors and then follow the throng on to the plateform ( make sure to get the correct plateform).
Show your ticket to the train conductor standing the door of your carriage before you embark on your train ride.
After the train is moving, the train conductress will walk to you again to check your passport or ID card for security reason. In addition, you have to give your ticket to the conductor in exchange for a boarding card. The card shows your seat number same with the ticket. When the train is about to arrive, the conductress will approach you to exchange the card back for your ticket.
If you miss the train or lose your tickets, you cannot have your tickets refunded and you have to buy another one.
If you lose your tickets on the train, you are supposed to buy another one when pass the arrival station. So do not lose your tickets on the train.
Types of Trains in Beijing China:
G Train: The G Train at present only refers to the High-speed express passenger train running between Beijing and Tianjin designed with the highest speed of 350 km. This Beijing-Tianjin bullet train features cleanness, low noise, elegant-looking and speed. Now C typle train is the fastest of this kind in operation around the world.
D Train: D Train refers to “China Railway High-speed (CRH)” in English, a kind of China styled Bullet Train. This kind of train is the most modern and advanced train in China at present. The “D Train” of this kind is likened to “Multiple Unit”(MU) in English. It can reach 200-350km/h. Usually it offers the First class seat and Second class seat. It is clean and comfortable, and the inside of the train is quite different from the other trains. All the seats face the same way. There is a screen that shows how fast the train is going.
Z Train: Z Train refers to “Thorough Express Train” in English. Z Train is the most popular and important in China. It is a thorough train without any stops on routes before getting to the destination. This kind of train usually runs between big cities ( capital cities of provinces ). Most of the Z Trains start in the evening and reach the destination in the next morning and overnight on the train. The train has two-bed cabins and 4-bed cabins both for soft sleeper and hard sleeper tickets. This kind of train also offers hard seats, popular among Chinese local travellers. The train has air-conditioned system, hot water, western styled toilet. There is a restaurant car on the train to serve three meals.
T Train: T Train refers to “Express Train” in English. Unlike “Thorough Express Train”, this kind of train stops at important big cities on route before reaching the destination. So T Train is usually more crowded than Z Train. Its tickets are composed of hard seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper. It boasts of air-condition, restaurant compartment, toilet and washing room.
K Train: K Train refers to “Fast Train” in English. This kind of train is of course slower than “Z” and “T” trains with more stops on route. K Train is also equipped with air-condition system. It has a restaurant compartment, Chinese styled toilet and public washing room. The K Train ticket includes hard seat, soft seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper.
” 4 Number ” Ordinary Train: This is a slow train stopping at small towns or cities on route. It is named by 4 numbers, such as train 1115(Beijing-Datong). Most of the passengers are local common people, villagers and vendors. Most of the trains don’t have air-condition system, but with Chinese styled toilet and no restaurant Car.
Class Train Tickets Available for the Trains in Beijing China
Hard Seat: Hard Seat is cheapest way to go around in China. The hard-ticket car is usually very crowded. Very often you will find many people stand in the hard-seat car. Doing an overnight in hard seat can be awful. The seats make sleep improbable. Seat carriage toilets – squatting holes over the naked tracks – clog and stink up fast.
Soft Seat: Soft Seat is only available for the train drive between 1-5 hours for fast trains. The soft-seat car is clean and comfortable. Soft Seat is not quite so costly.
The soft-seat is a nice way of traveling bewteen the cities at shorter distance.
Hard Sleeper: If you have a hard sleeper train ticket, that means you will spend the night in a 6-bed open cabin. The cabin has no door without any privacy. The hard-sleeper cabins are often noisy. There is a squat toilet and a washing room at each end of each car. The food trolleys pass back and forth along the narrow car corridor. You can buy some cheap food and drinks. If you pay more, you can have your meal in the restaurant car.
Soft Sleeper: If you have a soft sleeper train ticket, that means you will spend the night in a 4-bed cabin The cabin has a door with much privacy. The soft-sleeper cabins are often clean and comfortable. There is a squat toilet and a washing room at each end of each car. The food trolleys pass back and forth along the narrow car corridor. You can buy some cheap food and drinks. If you pay more, you can have your meal in the restaurant car.
Deluxe Soft Sleeper:If you have a deluxe soft sleeper train tickets,that means you will spend the nithe in the 2-bed cabin.The cabin has a door with much privacy.The deluxe soft sleeper are often clean and comfortable,.There is a private bathroom .
