A complete guide to taking the new fast bullet trains between Beijing and Shanghai including the G series bullet trains and the fast D series overnight train. Both services travel on the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway which covers some 1,318km’s (819 miles) in distance with the fastest train completing the journey in just over 4 hours.
Beijing to Shanghai High-Speed Rail (aka bullet trains)
There are approximately 38 fast train services departing Beijing South Station daily which terminate at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway and two services that terminate at Shanghai Railway Station.
The Chinese name for these trains is 高铁(gāo tiě) and the Chinese name for the Beijing-Shanghai fast train is 京沪高铁 (Jīng Hù Gāo Tiě).
The fastest service is the G17 which takes around 4h 18m with the slowest of the fast trains taking just over 6h. All the trains are G series trains and offer second class, first class, and business class.
| Train | Class | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| G Train – Beijing to Shanghai | Second Class | 553 RMB |
| First Class | 933 RMB | |
| Business Class | 1,748 RMB |
Seat Class Guide
Second Class Seats
First Class Seats
Business Class Seat
Beijing to Shanghai by Overnight Train
These are D series trains which are modern and comfortable and have a high speed of 250 km/h. Currently, there is one daily service departing from Beijing South which arrives at Shanghai Railway Station being the D311.
The D311 is a little special being China’s modern version of the old sleeper trains. It is the new CRH2E train which has a similar look to the bullet trains yet it is two levels and contains only sleeping berths. It’s more or less a rolling hotel. The individual sleeping compartments feature small table, reading light, power outlets, fresh sheets, pillows, and privacy curtain.
The journey time is approx 12h. There is only one type of ticket.
| Train | Class | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| D Train – Beijing to Shanghai | Sleeper | 630 RMB |
Getting to Beijing South Station
Via Subway: Take subway line 4, or line 14, to Beijing South Station (北京南站)
Via Taxi: from the central area a taxi would cost around 25 RMB, simply show the driver “Beijing South Station (北京南站)”
More details about Beijing South Station
Getting from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station & Shanghai Railway Station
Both railway stations are connected to the Shanghai Metro system making it very easy to get to the central area. For more details see Train Stations in Shanghai.
Station Names in English Chinese
Beijing South Railway Station 北京南站
Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station 上海虹桥站
Shanghai Railway Station 上海站
Buying Tickets
You can purchase your ticket online between 30-60 days in advance and then pick the tickets up at your departing station by showing your original passport/s. Most online ticket sellers add a small fee, a popular choice is trip.com/trains/.
You can also buy tickets at any train station.
There are also hundreds of ticket offices located across Beijing where you can take your passport, or a photocopy, and purchase tickets. There is a fee of 5 RMB.
The Chinese name for train ticket office is 火车票代售点 (Huǒchē piào dài shòu diǎn). Here is a link to a Baidu map of those selling points Map of Train Ticket offices in Beijing and a more detailed guide to buying tickets in Beijing.
Ticket offices in Central Beijing near attractions
1. No. 101, Yongwai Street; 08:30 – 20:30
2. No. 103, South Dongsi Street; 08:00 – 18:00
3. No. 168, Andingmen Inner Street; 08:00 – 20:30
4. No. Jia 12, Qianmen Street; 08:30 – 17:00
5. No. 64, Dongdan North Street; 08:00 – 21:00
6. Kailong Hotel, 1F, No. 2, North Chaonei Street; 08:00 – 18:00
7. Fenghuo Lianfa Hotel, No. 8, Dongjiaomin Lane; 08:30 – 17:30
8. Zijingong Hotel, Room no. 507, No. 86, Nanheyan Street; 08:30 – 17:30
9. No. 97, Chaoyangmen Inner Street; 09:00 – 20:00
10. Poly Plaza Hotel, No. 14, Dongzhimen South Street; 08:30 – 17:30
11. No. 89-3, Tiantan Road; 08:30 – 18:00
12. No. 6, Guangqumen Inner Street; 08:00 – 19:30
13. Super 8 Hotel,1F, No. 64, Andingmen Outer Street; 08:30 – 18:30
14. China National Tourism Administration, No. Jia 9, Jianguomen Inner Street; 08:30 – 17:30
15. Century Mansion, 1F, No. 99, Wangfujing Street; 08:00 – 22:00
16. No. 18, Laoqianju Hutong, Beijing Railway Station East Street; 08:00 – 18:00
17. CITS Mansion, Room no.818, No. 1, Dongdan North Street; 08:30 – 20:30
18. 5F, No. 5, Building no. 1, Dongzhimen Inner Street; 08:00 – 18:00
19. No. 82, Zongbu Hutong; 08:30 – 19:00
20. No. 53, Donghuamen Street; 08:00 – 18:00
Train Schedules
| Train times | Departure station | Arrival station | Time | Travel Time | Fare reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G101 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 06:43 – 12:40 | 5h 57m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G103 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 06:53 – 12:48 | 5h 55m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G5 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Railway Station | 07:00 – 11:40 | 4h 40m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G105 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 07:20 – 13:08 | 5h 48m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G143 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 07:50 – 13:12 | 5h 22m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G107 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 08:05 – 13:46 | 5h 41m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G109 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 08:15 – 14:17 | 6h 2m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G111 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 08:35 – 14:22 | 5h 47m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G113 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 08:50 – 14:33 | 5h 43m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G1 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 09:00 – 13:28 | 4h 28m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G41 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 09:15 – 14:49 | 5h 34m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G115 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 09:20 – 15:09 | 5h 49m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G117 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 09:25 – 15:37 | 6h 12m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G7 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 10:00 – 14:28 | 4h 28m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G119 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 10:05 – 15:47 | 5h 42m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G121 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 10:20 – 16:25 | 6h 5m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G123 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 11:05 – 16:50 | 5h 45m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G125 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 11:10 – 16:59 | 5h 49m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G411 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 11:20 – 17:25 | 6h 5m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G127 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 11:30 – 17:20 | 5h 50m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G9 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 12:00 – 16:36 | 4h 36m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G129 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 12:10 – 17:56 | 5h 46m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G131 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 12:20 – 18:16 | 5h 56m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G133 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 12:50 – 18:40 | 5h 50m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G135 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 13:05 – 18:59 | 5h 54m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G137 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 13:35 – 19:18 | 5h 43m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G139 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 13:45 – 20:05 | 6h 20m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G3 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 14:00 – 18:28 | 4h 28m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G43 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 14:05 – 19:43 | 5h 38m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G141 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 14:10 – 20:09 | 5h 59m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G145 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 14:35 – 20:33 | 5h 58m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G11 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 15:00 – 19:28 | 4h 28m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G155 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 15:45 – 21:41 | 5h 56m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G147 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 15:50 – 22:00 | 6h 10m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G149 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 16:25 – 22:49 | 6h 24m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G169 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 16:40 – 22:42 | 6h 2m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G151 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 16:45 – 23:02 | 6h 17m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G13 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 17:00 – 21:36 | 4h 36m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G153 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 17:15 – 23:11 | 5h 56m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G157 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 17:36 – 23:40 | 6h 4m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G159 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 17:45 – 23:48 | 6h 3m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G15 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 18:00 – 22:36 | 4h 36m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G17 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Hongqiao Station | 19:00 – 23:18 | 4h 18m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| G21 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Railway Station | 19:08 – 23:36 | 4h 28m | 2nd Class ¥553 1st Class ¥933 |
| D311 | Beijing South Railway Station | Shanghai Railway Station | 21:17 – 09:15 | 11h 58m | Soft Sleeper ¥630 |