Luggage Racks & Allowance

Whether you travel with friends, families, or take lots of gifts for them, knowing the baggage allowance to take a China train always ensures you an easy and convenient train journey. Popular China High Speed Bullet Train Tours >

For travel in China by trains, each passenger is allowed to take suitcase, bags and other luggage in certain weight and volume on board, and place them in the luggage racks overhead or under the seat. Though there are official restrictions about the baggage allowance in China, usually tourists can bring large amount of luggage to take trains directly without checking the exact weight or volume if only your luggage is not in surprisingly size, amount or abnormally long (A Warm Tip: Passengers could actually take more luggage than prescribed). Check the detailed up-to-date baggage rules and policies regarding all about train luggage to start your China train journey.

Carry-on Baggage Allowance

Passengers who already bought train tickets are allowed to carry personal luggage to the trains free of charge, without limitation of amount and types. And a brief guide (in Chinese version only) about train carry-on luggage size and weight, and other useful information are printed on the back of train ticket for your consideration.

In order to offer you the best ideas for packing and a hassle-free boarding and train travel experience, we are presenting the most specific details about the hand luggage policy for you. Just remember, normally you can take as much as you can, as long as you can hand it independently and find right places to place it. Usually, neither the size nor the weight will be checked specifically.

Carry-on Luggage Weight Allowance

The free carry-on baggage weight allowance for every passenger is slightly different from various types of train tickets.

● For Each Child (children-ticket holders & who are free of admission): max.10 kg/ 22 Ib
● For Each Adult: max. 20 kg/ 44Ib
● For Each Diplomat: max. 35 kg/ 77Ib

Carry-on Luggage Size Allowance

Each piece passengers can take on aboard has theoretically limitation of dimensions, a sum of the length, width and height. Personal luggage, suitcases, handbags and boxes included, are free to take into the carriage without exceeding the outside measurement. That way you can store your luggage appropriately in somewhere on the train.

● For Normal Train: max. 160cm/63in (length×width×height)

● For High Speed Train: max.130cm/51in (length×width×height)

● The Rod-shaped Item: shall not exceed 200cm/79in (length)

Note Well: The above carry-on luggage allowance does not apply to folding wheelchair for the disabled. In other words, one can take the folding wheelchairs on as extra luggage, and the weight and volume of the folding wheelchair are not included in the carry-on luggage rules.

Things Prohibited and Limited to Bring on Train

To ensure safe travel for all passengers and a well public traffic order, there are some stuff are banned to be taken and transported on train, according to the China’s Railway Safety Regulations. Check the following luggage restrictions to make sure you pack properly and board smoothly.

Items Forbidden to Take on Train – What You Can’t Bring on Train

Wherever you depart, any destination you arrive, the following all items are strictly prohibited to be taken abroad.

1. Weapons : guns, bullets, sporting rifles, firefighting guns, animation guns, popguns, and other samples and imitations of weaponry
2. Knives: daggers, flicking knives, kitchen knives, fruit knives, axes, spontoons, defibrillators, bows and arrows, ect.
3. Live Animals: pets, poultry (except guide doges) and any living creature; and any goods with strong unpleasant smell
4. Explosives: bombs, flare, signal flares, tear gas, explosives, dynamites, fireworks, firecrackers, and any duplicates of above articles
5. Inflammables: oxygen (except bagged medical oxygen), hydrogen, methane, ethane, butane, natural gas, carbon oxide, liquefied petroleum gas, and other compressed and liquefied gas; gasoline, kerosene, diesel, ethyl alcohol, else combustible liquid and etc.
6. Dangerous Goods: poisons (cyanide, arsenic, selenium, and highly toxic chemicals); Corrosives (vitriol, hydrochloric acid, accumulator, mercury and etc.); radioactive materials, infectious articles (AIDS, HBV, anthrax, tubercle bacillus…)
7. Magnetized items

Items Limited to Take on Train

Passengers can carry the following items on train within the limited quantity. Any case exceeding the maximum restriction will be handled according to the relevant national regulations.

1. Nail polish, delusterant, hair dye shall no exceed 20ml
2. Insecticide, air freshener, hair fixture, mousses and pressure vessels (such as sunscreen spray, deodorant spray...) shall no exceed 120ml
3. Safety Match: 2 small boxes at most
4. Lighter: 2 ordinary fighters at most
5. Cigarette: 50 cartons of cigarettes at most

Note: 1) Once found any objects prohibited before boarding, passengers will be rejected checking in at the train station; 2) If the dangerous goods are discovered on train, passenger have to hand over them to train stuff for further proper disposal; 3) Blind passengers carrying guide dogs are required to show necessary proof, including valid ID, certificate of disabled, quarantine certificate and so on.

Where to Put Suitcase and Luggage on Chinese Train

After you get on the train, you can put your suitcase or large handbag under the seat or in the overhead compartment, whether you are in a seat class or sleeper carriage. For high speed train travelers, there are extra spaces for large luggage at the coupled coaches and behind the last row. Small bags, valuable personal stuff are high suggested to be carried around with you.

Normal Trains – Luggage Space on K, T, Z Trains

There are two different compartments on normal trains: seat class carriage and sleeper carriage. The most crowed and competitive situation occurs in the seat class car, probably a huge challenge to snag vacancy for your hand luggage, while the sleeper car has more private spaces. Read our guide carefully, anyhow you can manage to find a luggage area.

Seat Class Carriage

If you buy a seat class ticket, you can firstly put luggage under your seat where is always easy to notice, if there is still enough room. Otherwise, you need to lift the suitcase or bags and stow it in the overhead luggage rack, which is set at both sides in every coach. Besides, you can place bottled waters, snacks on the middle small board in front or your seat.

Usually, a 24 inch suitcase is suitable to be placed under the seat and a 28 inch suitcase is the maximum size on the luggage travel, maybe some part will protrude outside the shelf. Considering the travel convenience, you are suggested to travel light, and a 24 inches suitcase is better enough and the most appropriate choice.

Hard Sleeper Class Carriage

If you take a hard sleeper berth, you can either put your luggage in the overhead rack above the aisle or tuck them under the lower berth. Please notice that the space underneath the lower bunk (about 31.5cm high) is just suitable for flatly placed small suitcase or bag, a 24 inch luggage case would fit the best. If your suitcase is larger than that size, you can put it to specialized parcel shelf opposite your berth or place it upright on the floor between the two lower berths. Small bags can be hung on the wall pothook in each berth.

Soft Sleeper Class Carriage

Soft sleeper car is a relatively private compartment shared by four passengers. You mainly have three places to arrange your luggage. One is the special luggage area over the entrance door (near the upper berth), where is quite enough for a lying child (about 40cm high), and a 28 inch cases would be ok. The second luggage area is the two spaces under the lower berths (about 30cm high), where can put 28 inch suitcase at most. The last option is to place the huge box or bag on the floor under the public small table or between the lower berths, in this way any size is accepted.

High Speed Trains - Luggage Space on C, D, G Trains

Luggage Space on Second Class Seat Class Carriage

Second & First Class Seat

After you get on high speed train, there is a special large luggage storage area at the joint of two coaches, a good and very convenient place for huge and heavy suitcases and bags. In addition, you can lift the luggage (better no exceeding 24 inch) and put it on the overhead rack near your seat. Later renovated high speed trains, like the Xian Chengdu High Speed Train (CRH3A type), expands the capacity of shelf to a maximum limitation for 28 inch suitcase. Seats in the first and last row also get an extra space for large luggage.

First Class Seats vs. Second Class Seats

Business Class Seat

As the most deluxe and comfortable seat class on high speed train, Business Class Carriage provides each passenger surprisingly big space for luggage. Here have the same luggage racks on both sides overhead the seat, as the other carriages. And the most significant difference is the extremely broad space between each row (nearly 2 meters wide). With its much higher price, the Business Class Seat is the least crowed compartment, so you always have enough room to arrange your luggage. Plan B is to put the luggage on the empty floor near your seat.