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Beijing Railway Station

Beijing Railway Station

Written by FabioUpdated Apr. 14, 2023

Beijing Train Station is Beijing's oldest (opened in 1959) and most centrally located train station. It is Beijing's main regular train station for regular lines going all over the country and internationally, International trains from Beijing to Moscow, Ulaanbaatar, and Vietnam also depart from this station.

Apart from regular rail lines, Beijing Railway Station also serves intercity bullet trains to Tianjin, as well as overnight high-speed trains to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou, etc.

  • Chinese: 北京站 Běijīng Zhàn /bay-jing jan/
  • Name on train tickets: 北京
  • Address: 13 Hutongjia, Maojiawan, Dongcheng District 东城区毛家湾胡同甲13号
  • Location: 28 km (17 mi) from Capital International Airport, 4 km from the Forbidden City (see our Beijing Railway Station Map)
  • Station size: 14 platforms (2 for bullet trains)

Popular Train Routes

Regular Trains

The low-price sleeper cars are popular with sightseers going to tourist cities such as Shanghai and Harbin:

  • Shanghai 上海, T class, 15 hours, USD 48 (hard sleeper), D class, 12 hours, USD 43 (2nd class seat)
  • Harbin 哈尔滨, Z/T class, 10 to 11 hours, USD 43 (hard sleeper)

International Trains

These trains go to MongoliaRussia, and North Korea:

  • Ulaanbaatar - K23 every Monday (temporarily suspended)
  • Ulaanbaatar and Moscow - K3 every Wednesday (temporarily suspended)
  • Moscow - K19 every Saturday (temporarily suspended)
  • Pyongyang - K27 departing Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (temporarily suspended)

Bullet Trains

Beijing Station serves the HSR (High-Speed Railway) to Northeast China: to Harbin, Shenyang, Dalian, Jilin, etc. Overnight bullet trains to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou also depart from this train station.

  • Shanghai 上海, D class, 12 hours, USD 43 (second class)
  • Hangzhou 杭州, D class, about 14 hours, USD 45 (second class)
  • Dalian 大连, D class, about 4 hours, USD 60 (second class)
  • Tianjin天津, D class, about 1 hour 15 minutes, USD 5 (second class)

Bullet trains from Beijing South Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station can take you to most of China's popular tourist areas.

Train Schedules from Beijing Train Station

To Popular Train(s) Travel Time Distance (KM) Prospect Price
Shanghai Railway Station *D705 (21:21-09:27+1)
* T109 (20:05-11:00+1)
*1461 (11:55-06:47+1)
12h6m
14h55m
18h52m
1208 km Second Class: US$45
Hard Sleeper: US$48
Hard Sleeper: US$45
Shenyang Railway Station D825 (07:08-13:59)
D821 (13:40-21:00)
6h51m
7h20m
680 km 1st Class: US$46
2nd Class: US$29
Shenyang North Railway Station G915 (09:12-12:33)
G907 (12:18-10:19)
3h1m 680 km 1st Class: US$84
2nd Class: US$53
Harbin Railway Station G3605 (14:18-19:41)
*Z15 (21:21-07:26+1)
5h23m
10h05m
1241 km 1st Class: US$280
2nd Class: US$142
Superior Soft Sleeper: US$127
Soft Sleeper: US$63
Harbin West Railway Station G3605 (14:18-19:41)
Z17 (21:15-07:22+1)
5h8m
10h7m
1228 km 1st Class: US$149
2nd Class: US$89
Soft Sleeper: US$63
Hard Sleeper: US$41
Hangzhou Railway Station *D717 (19:16-09:00+1)
*D717 (21:15-11:11+1)
13h44m 13h56m 1289 km 2nd Class: US$45
Pingyao Railway Station *K609 (23:44-09:29+1) 9h45m 585 km Soft Sleeper: US$41
Hard Sleeper: US$27
Zhangjiajie Xi Railway Station G689 (09:20-20:34) 11h14m 585 km 1st Class: US$222
2nd Class: US$138

Using the Station

Features

Covering an area of 25 hectares (50 football fields), Beijing Railway Station faces a 6,500-sq.-m. (1 football field in the area) square to the north. Six VIP halls, one cushioned seat waiting hall, four ordinary waiting halls, and four key passenger waiting halls are available.

Facilities

  • The second floor holds waiting halls, supermarkets, department stores, and Western and Chinese restaurants:

beijing-station-map

  • The first floor has platforms and access for passenger arrivals and departures. There are self-service ticket machines, a ticket office, a public address system, and automatic ticket-checking machines:

beijing-station-map

  • The underground area has Beijing Metro Line 2.

Luggage Portage

Ask the service desk staff in the middle of the second floor if you need help getting your luggage on board or for other help. The official porters wear a red cap (10 RMB for a small bag and 20 for a large bag).

For more general guidance on station use...

See How to Get On/Off a Train and 7 Things to Know Before Riding a Train .

Transportation - to/from Beijing Station

Because there are five train stations in Beijing, travelers sometimes go to the wrong station, so be clear about your station when making your way there.

By Taxi

Waiting areas: It is best to use the taxis at the taxi waiting areas for safety and security since guards are watching. There are two waiting areas. The bigger one is on the northeast corner of the plaza with the greater number of taxis, and a smaller one is across the street.

For specifics on fares etc., see Beijing Taxis.

By Subway

For Beijing South Station (北京南站):

  • Take Line 2 to Xuanwumen Station (宣武门, 4 stops), then Line 4 to Beijing South (3 stops). About 25 minutes.

For Beijing West Station (北京西站):

  • Take Line 2 to Xuanwumen Station (宣武门, 4 stops), then Line 4 to Caishikou Station (菜市口站, 2 stops), then Line 7 to Beijing West (4 stops).

Beijing Capital International Airport (北京首都机场) can be reached by metro in less than an hour:

  • Line 2 to Dongzhimen (东直门), then the Airport Express Line to Terminal 2 or 3

The Forbidden City is only 4 kilometers (2½ miles) away, and Tian'anmen Square is only about half that:

  • Take Line 2 west to Qianmen (前门, 2 stops) and walk north across Tian'anmen Square to the Forbidden City (700m).
  • Walk around the Forbidden City for the West Entrance (1 km) to go in.

For the Badaling Great Wall:

  • Line 2 to Xuanwumen (宣武门, 4 stops), Line 4 to Xizhimen (西直门, 9 stops), and Yanqing S2 Suburban Railway Line to Badaling.

Booking Tickets

train ticketsTrain tickets

Booking By Yourself

When you buy a ticket, check the station name carefully. You could book tickets at the station and at other train stations or at many ticket windows in the city, or online... See How to Buy Tickets in China>>

Booking With Us

We can assist you with booking tickets.

  • Over 10,000 satisfied customers each year
  • 24/7 service
  • 3 easy steps: search trains, book tickets, pay
  • Tickets delivered by express mail to your appointed address

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