Normal Trains in China

As you know, there are 32 of China’s 34 provinces and regions linking by high speed trains, except Tibet Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. That to say, if you want to travel to Tibet by train, normal train from Beijing, Chengdu, Xian or Lanzhou will be your best choice at present. Zhangjiajie, the surreal Avatar world, has only normal trains well linked with Yichang and Changsha, etc. Taking normal trains is still a small part of your China trip experience, so let’s know them further!

Normal Train Types & Brief Introduction

Type	Chinese	Top Speed	Introduction & Features
Z - Non-Stop Express	"Zhida", 直达	160km/h (99mph)	Run directly to destinations non-stop for overnight train or several stops at large stations.
T - Express	"Tekuai", 特快	140 km/h (87mph)	Have a limited number of stops along their routes, only in major cities.
K - Fast	"Kuaisu", 快速	120 km/h (75mph)	This series of trains stop at more stations than T-series, usually at middle and large stations.
General Fast Train	“Pukuai”, 普通旅客快车	120 km/h (75mph)	The slower passenger train stops at almost every station along the way and its ticket price is cheap. Route numbers are always four digits starting with 6, 7, or 8
General Train	“Puke”, 普通旅客列车	100 km/h (62mph)	This is the slowest passenger train with as many stops as possible. The ticket price is low. Route numbers are always four digits starting with 1, 2, 4 or 5.
L - Temporary	"Linshi", 临时	100 km/h (62mph)	They are not listed in the official train schedule. Many of these trains only operate at peak passenger travel season, such as spring festival travel season, October National Holiday, summer holiday, etc.
Y - Temporary Tourist Train	"Linshilüyou", 临时旅游	100 km/h (62mph)	Operate for tourism between the historical sites and middle/large cities. It stops less stations and train is comparatively superior.
S - Suburban Commuter Rail	"Shijiao", 市郊	100 km/h (62mph)	Used for commuting between the city center and the suburban area in some large cities.
Steam Train	蒸汽火车	20km/h (12.4mph)	It is the steam engine train. Jiayang steam train in Leshan Sichuan is a kind of this train which is recommended to take in beautiful spring.

Advantages of Taking China Regular Trains

Wide Coverage & Access to Most Destinations in China

China railway has a very wide coverage with a mileage of 150,000 kilometers by 2020 and almost every city/town with a population of 0.2 million will be linked by train. If you travel in China, you can take trains to go any destinations as you like. Besides the awesome high speed train experience in China, many travelers would choose to take the normal train go to Tibet, Zhangjiajie and within Yunnan.

Quite Low Price

The ticket prices of normal trains are very low. The hard seat is almost 70% cheaper than the second class seat of a high speed train. And the soft sleeper is almost 75% cheaper than the business class seat of a high speed train. It saves a lot! Taking normal train to travel in China is suitable for the destinations without high speed trains as well as travelers who are in budget.

Disadvantages of Taking China Regular Trains

Slow Speed Lower than 160km/h

The top speed of a normal train is 160km/h and many trains run slower usually during 120-140km/h. It stops at many stations in middle and large cities. It is time-consuming which would cause fatigue of the body.

Noisy Atmosphere & Common Facilities

Different kinds of passengers all are in the normal trains and the carriage environment is comparatively crowded, noisy and smelly. The facilities are very basic - not so in intellectualized and user-friendly. Try to avoid taking normal trains during Chinese Spring Festival, October National Holiday as well as other important holidays of China. During these periods, it would be very crowded beyond your imagination.

The Main Differences between Normal Train and High Speed Train

Experiencing high speed train is the must-do activity for your China tour while taking a normal train is the alternative option. Check the difference between normal trains and bullet trains in China and you will get to know “why taking high speed train instead of normal train”.

1. Huge Speed Difference:160km/h vs. 400km/h

The highest speed of normal trains would not exceed 160km/h (99mph) while the top speed of bullet train could reach up to 400km/h like Fuxing trains. That’s to say, the speed of bullet train is two to three times faster than normal trains. Normal trains stop as many stops as possible while high speed trains stop a few stations. Your train travel time will be shortened hugely if taking the high speed train. For example, travelers who travel from Beijing to Chengdu, it takes about 8-10 hours by G train and 21-30 hours by K or Z train. Traveling in fast speed, it would save a lot of time on the road that you can spend longer in the tourist spots for in-depth sightseeing.

2. Seat Classes & Price Difference: More Comfortable on High Speed Train

Normal Trains:

Seat Types	Seats	Features
Hard Seats	2+3 seats in a row	crowded, noisy
Hard Sleepers	2 upper, 2 middle, 2 lower sleepers	open compartment, less crowded
Soft Sleepers	2 lower berths and 2 upper berths in each cabin	Each compartment is a single cabin with a private door facing the aisle
Standing Tickets	no seats	stand in hard seats carriages uncomfortably

High Speed Train:

Seat Types	Seats	Features
Second Class Seats	2+3 seats in a row	not crowded, but passenger may talk loudly
First Class Seats	2+2 seats in a row	quiet, comfortable, spacious
Business Class Seat	1+1 or 1+2 Seats in a row	highest level of comfort, superior service all the journey
Soft Sleeper	2 or 4 in a cabin	Only overnight D trains equipped, very comfortable

Note: 1. In some circumstance, the hard seat is almost 70% cheaper than the second class seat of a high speed train. And the soft sleeper is almost 75% cheaper than the business class seat of a high speed train. 2. If you take normal trains, you’d better choose hard sleeper or soft sleeper. 3. If you take high speed trains, it is recommended to take first class seats to ensure yourselves with great comfort.

Highly Recommended Routes to Experience Normal Trains

No every destination in China is connected by high speed trains at present, like Lhasa, Zhangjiajie, Dali, Lijiang and more. The following are the recommended routes mostly chosen by our travelers taking normal trains with beautiful scenery along the way.

Route	Distance	Duration	Frequency	Price
Beijing - Lhasa	3757km	40h10'/40h20'	daily	hard seat: ￥360 hard sleeper: ￥763 soft sleeper: ￥1186
Xian - Lhasa	2864km	30h34'/31h01’	daily	hard seat: ￥293.5 hard sleeper: ￥706 soft sleeper: ￥1097.5
Chengdu - Lhasa	3360km	36h18'	Every other day	hard seat: ￥302.5 hard sleeper: ￥663.5 soft sleeper: ￥1034.5
Xining - Lhasa	1972km	20h55'	Every other day	hard seat: ￥224 hard sleeper: ￥521 soft sleeper: ￥808
Yichang - Zhangjiajie	290km	5h	2 trains in a day	hard seat: ￥43.5 hard sleeper: ￥97.5 soft sleeper: ￥141.5
Zhangjiajie - Changsha	396km	around 4.5~5.5 hours	7 trains in a day	hard seat: ￥54.5 hard sleeper: ￥108.5 soft sleeper: ￥161.5
Kunming - Dali	359km	around 6~7.5 hours	9 trains in a day	hard seat: ￥64 hard sleeper: ￥105.5 soft sleeper: ￥155.5
Kunming - Lijiang	517km	around 8~10 hours	8 trains in a day	hard seat: ￥152 hard sleeper: ￥226 soft sleeper: ￥669

Qinghai - Tibet Railway: World’s Highest and Longest Plateau Railroad

Qinghai Tibet railway, reputed as “railway to roof of the world”, is 1956-kilometer-long starting from Xining city and ending in Lhasa. It is the world’s highest and longest plateau railroad. About 550 kilometers of the railway tracks run on frozen earth, the longest in any of the world's plateau railways. Witnessing how the highest railway in the world traversing through the harsh and wild Qinghai Tibet Plateau is not the only highlight of a Qinghai Tibet Railway trip. You will also enjoy the unique charming scenery along the railway - Qinghai Lake, Qarhan Salt Lake, Mysterious Kunlun Mountains, Wild Hohxil Nature Reserve, Tibetan antelope, Tsonag Lake, Changtang Grassland, Yangpachen, etc. Travelers can enter Tibet from Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Shanghai, Xining and Lanzhou with trains to Lhasa.