Beijing to Xian Train – Choose the Bullet Train or Overnight Sleeper?

A one-page guide to the new High Speed Rail services between Beijing and Xi’an and classic overnight trains. The Beijing-Xi’an high-speed rail line is one of China’s most popular routes, covering approximately 1,200 kilometers. Most passengers choose the high-speed rail (G-series trains), and wisely so, because the journey from city center to city center takes only about 4–6 hours, making it more convenient than flying.

Trains in China have prefixes to identify their type

• G – the newest, fastest trains – offering VIP, First Class, Second Class – operate at 200-350 kph
• D  – fast intercity trains – offering First Class, Second Class and sleeper options on overnight routes – operate at 200-250 kph
• C –  are fast local trains and not used on this route
• Z – older technology, these are generally used for overnight sleeper trains with first and second class sleeper options – operate at 100-160 kph
• T – older technology, they offer standing, first class and second class seats plus first and second class sleeper options – operate at 100-140 kph
• K – older technology, they offer standing, and basic seating options – operate at 100-120 kph

On this page we are going to focus on the G or D trains, and a little on the sleeper options of the K, T and Z types.

High Speed Bullet Trains (G trains)

There are approximately 35-40 fast train services departing Beijing West Railway Station daily which terminate at Xi’an North Railway Station. These are G series trains that have been in service for some time now and have well and truly proven themselves as a fast, efficient, and reliable means of transport. They are designed to travel between of 200 to 350 kph (124 to 217 mph), and the Chinese name for these trains is 高铁(gāo tiě).

The fast train route follows the Beijing–Guangzhou line to Zhengzhou, where it then continues on the Zhengzhou–Xi’an to its final destination.

The fastest service takes around 4h 10m due to making the least amount of stops, while the slowest of the fast trains (G trains) makes the most amount of stops, taking just over 6h for the whole journey.

There are also D trains, which offer first class and second class seating on the daytime route, taking around 7-8hrs. Personally, I don’t recommend these as it’s too long for a seated service, although there are D series overnight sleeper trains that I’ll come to further on.

Onboard the G trains, you will find hot and cold water fountains, toilets at the end of every carriage with a washbasin and mirror; in the washrooms you will also find diaper-changing tables. Power sockets are available at every seat, although second class seats only have one socket per row on each side, so you need to share.

There is a food stall with limited seating but no traditional dining car on these trains, meaning you eat at your seat. Train staff pass by with trolleys at regular intervals offering tea, coffee, sodas, water, processed snacks, and there are also fresh pre-made meals available for order from the staff or by wandering to the food stall, which is usually located on carriage 5. You can also take your own snacks and drinks, as many do.

WiFi is being installed on all high speed rail trains but may not yet be available on this route. I suggest buying a mobile sim card noting that there will be patchy service in places along the way.

Depending on the train choice, seating classes on offer are second class, first class, and business class.

Train	Class	Fare
G Train – Beijing to Xi’an	Second Class	515 RMB
	First Class	824 RMB
	Business Class	1,627 RMB

 

Seat Class Guide

 

Overnight Trains (D, K, T and Z)

There are several overnight trains that run between Beijing and Xi’an. Currently, sleeper options are offered on the newer D trains and the older-style trains of the type K, T, and Z. The journey times range between 8.5 hrs to 12.5 hrs on the D trains and 12.5 to 18 hrs on the older three types.

On all of these trains, there is the option of Hard Seat, 2nd Class Seat (on D trains), Hard Sleeper, and Soft Sleeper. On at least two services every day, the D 995 and D 997, a Deluxe Sleeper option is offered featuring a two-berth cabin with each bed at twice the cost of the standard sleeper cabin bed.

Sleeper trains remain popular, and there is an argument that they save a night’s accommodation and you are not wasting precious daylight hours on a train. It rarely works out that way, as it’s genuinely an ordinary night’s sleep in all of my experiences. A better way is to consider its value as an experience. That said, I have always found the service to be good, the bedding to be super clean and comfortable on the first-class options. The hard sleeper options are just rows of basic bunks amongst a carnival of noise and varied wafting smells from the endless consumption of snacks. If you really wanted that 1990s China experience, and what might be 12 hours of wondrous cultural immersion or 12 hours of pure hell, go for the hard sleeper.

All trains have a dining car onboard with seating. They serve pre-prepared fresh meals, snacks, and tea, coffee, water, and soda. All at very fair prices.

Soft sleeper cabins (recommended), sometimes called First Class Sleeper, have four bunk beds, and the beds are ticketed separately, so you will be sharing the cabin with others. There is one power socket per cabin. Each bed has its own personal reading light and TV (Chinese channels). Soft Sleeper carriages have a wash basin and mirror, squat and sometimes western-style toilets at the end of the carriage.

Train	Class	Fare
G Train – Beijing to Xi’an	Hard Seat	150 RMB
	Hard Sleeper	260 RMB
	Soft Sleeper (First Class)	400 RMB

 

Sleeper guide

Sometime in the near future, I would expect the older K, T and Z sleeper trains to be phased out and replaced by the new high speed CRH2E.

 

Getting to Beijing West Railway Station

Via Subway: Take subway line 7 or line 9 to Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站)

Via Taxi: about 20 minutes from the central area (35 RMB) show the driver 北京西站

More details about Beijing West Railway Station

 

Getting from Xi’an North Railway Station

Via Metro: Simply take Xian Metro Line 2 according to your destination.

Via Taxi: a taxi to the city center (near the Drum Tower) would take around 40 mins and cost around 44 RMB.

 

Station Names in Chinese and addresses

Beijing West Railway Station 北京西站 – Lianhuachi Donglu, Fengtai District, Beijing
Xi’an North Railway Station 西安北站 – Near Yuanxiao Road, Weiyang District, Xi’an
Xi’an Railway Station 西安站 – 44, Huancheng North Road, Xi’an

 

Buying Tickets for the Beijing Xi’an train

Seats for first class and business class book out quickly, and all tickets during Chinese holidays book out within minutes of going on sale in some cases.

You purchase your ticket online up to 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. An online booking service, in English, is provided by trip.com/trains/, and there is a local CN language service here trains.ctrip.com.

You can also buy tickets at any train station, and 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.

Verdict

Whilst the sleeper train does have some merit as a “China Experience” to tick off the list, it’s really only that. If there are four people and you can get the whole cabin to share, it becomes more of an attractive option. If you are solo, it might sound like fun to mingle with the locals, but who really knows? You may click and have new friends for life, or you may be an oddity, or worse, they could be entirely terrified of you.

The cabins are surprising; once the door closes, they are relatively quiet inside. It just depends on whether your roommates want to play cards all night and whether you want to join them or stare at the roof in suffering.

Alternatively, the G trains are fast enough that a movie on the phone, some music, some reading, a snack and some aisle walking, and you are pretty much there. First class seats are quite OK, but if you can spring for it, and can book one as they sell out fast, go for the VIP seat. The attractions awaiting you in either Beijing or Xian, depending on which direction you are going, far outweigh the sleeper train experience and are worth being well rested for.