Beijing Shanghai high speed rail

Yesterday afternoon, nearly off work time around 6:00pm, I decided to go to Shanghai for urgent family matters the next day. The normal reaction was to book a flight from Beijing to Shanghai. But the high speed rail Beijing Shanghai changed my mind set. I would like to try the newly opened Beijing Shanghai High Speed Train.

I logged on to www.12306.cn for online ticket booking. After registration, then I got an email to reconfirm the registration, and began to book the train ticket I preferred. Everything went smoothly except the way of payment. I have credit cards and an paypal account, but all didn't work. It requests me to have an online account at a bank, Bank of China etc. I was confused.

I had to give up online booking. At present, www.12306.cn is not very convenient for locals, even more difficult for foreigners. I had to go to the nearest train station - Beijing Railway Station. Though the high speed trains don't start from Beijing Railway Station, it does have two windows selling high speed train tickets.

It was a long queue, taking me about 40 minutes to get a ticket, and I chose a second class seat ticket for G11 Beijing Shanghai starting the next day 8:00am, July 05, 2011 - that's today.

Around 7:00am this morning, I take a taxi from my residental area to Beijing South Railway Station. The traffic is slim and I get to Departure Hall of Beijing South Railway Station shortly.

Entering the east entrance and getting through the security check, I raise my head and look at the huge timetable board and get to know my check-in gate is Gate 15.

My check-in gate is Gate 15

Passengers are insertng their tickets into the slots and go down to the platform

Passengers are insertng their tickets into the slots and go down to the platform

Following the queue, I move on to the entrance. Inserting my computerized ticket into the slot, the door opened and I go down steps to the platform 15.

I go down steps to the platform 15.

The Coach 11 is my temporary home. 80 paasengers in one second class coach with 16 rows of 5 seats abreast ( 2 + 3 ). I'm lucky to have a 2 set window seat

The Coach 11 is my temporary home

Overhead Luggage rack

Overhead Luggage rack

A plug under the seats for powering laptops

A plug under the seats for powering laptops

Its signal is too weak to connect any laptops online Lavatory at the end of each coach

Lavatory at the end of each coach

Luggage area both at the end and in the front of each coach

Luggage area both at the end and in the front of each coach

Trolley food cart

Trolley food cart

Box meals at the price RMB37 per set

Box meals at the price RMB37 per set

Hot drinking water

ot drinking water

G11 Beijing Shanghai high speed train has three stops: Jinnan West 9:35am, Tengzhou 10:15am and 11:49am Nanjing South and arriving at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station at 12:55.