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Dear Travelers, We’d like to have the following travel guide to be always...
Dear Travelers,
We’d like to have the following travel guide to be always updated for the benefit of new visitors coming to Xian from Beijing by high-speed train. If anybody having used the piece finds necessary updates, please leave a message or feedback. Thanks!
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There are 4 major railway stations in Beijing, namely Beijing Railway Station ( the oldest one ), Beijing West Railway Station ( for the high speed trains from Beijing to Xian, and regular trains to Lhasa and Kowloon), Beijing South Railway Station ( for the trains from Beijing to Shanghai and Tianjin) and Beijing North Railway Station ( for the trains to Zhangiakou)
Taxi fare: about RMB 130 ( 40km ).
With subway line 9, you are linked to other three train station: Beijing Railway Station ( line 2), Beijing South Railway Station ( line 4 ) and Beijing North Railway Station ( line 2 and 4 ). Check Beijing Subway Map for more information.
Beijing West Railway Station is a modern passenger station 90 meters at the highest in a shape of "品" with an area of 510,000 sq meters constructed with 10 platforms.
The main building faces north and south with two squares - North Square and South Square. There are public buses in each square with the north square having more public transport. Basically we suggest go through the north entrance to the station. If you take a taxi, just ask your taxi driver to go to the north square instead of south square.
Both the first floor and second floor at the north entrance are designed for check-in. If you taxi to the station, your taxi driver will take you directly to the second floor for entry while arriving by public bus you will check through the first floor.
Currently there are more than a dozen of daily high-speed trains going between Beijing and Xian. You are supposed to reach the station at least half hour before departure.
Either on the first or second floor there are several booths for ticket and security check. Passengers are required to line up and go one by one with their tickets and ID cards or passports ready.
So don't forget to bring your passport with you for the train ride. Your luggage and bags will be X-rayed for security check.
After having your luggage X-rayed and enter the main waiting hall, you will see a huge electronic train schedule board with real-time information on the trains in and out. There are 10 platforms in Beijing West Railway Station with 1-5 for common trains and 6-10 for high speed trains.
Just match your train number with the waiting room number. Basically your waiting room leads to the platform for your train to Xian.
Normally your waiting room will be numbered "8" for the trains to Xian. There are 13 waiting rooms inside the station. The waiting room No.8 is normally for passengers taking the trains to Xian.
Walking through the long corridor and looking for the Waiting Room No.08 for Passengers taking high speed trains for Xian.
There are some clean and quality cafes and restaurants available at Beijing Railway Station like KFC and McDonald. Luckily, your waiting room No.8 is close to MacDonald.
Your waiting room No.8 is also close to KFC.
And Starbucks
Make sure you are on the right waiting room. The train staffer at the gate (Information Desk) to your waiting room will double-check your train ticket for the right place.
Each waiting room is marble-stone paved with air-conditioning and ventilation system. On the front sides there is food and book stalls as well a cafe.
Check the electronic board to seat on the right row for your train. Basically there are two rows of benches for each high speed train. If you hold the pink-colored ticket, you seat and line up on the pink side; if you have the blue ticket, you line up on the blue side.
Purchased from a ticketing agent, a pink train ticket needs be checked manually while with a blue ticket bought directly from a train station, you need to have your ticket checked by swiping it on the machine by the gate.
Of course, nowadays, most passengers would use e-tickets either using their mobile phones or ID cards to swipe and go! No need for physical tickets.
You see people are lining up to have their tickets checked and enter the platform for their train.
Usually it is quite a walk from the ticket check-in gate down to the platform and the right compartment. Just take it easy carrying or rolling your luggage down to the platform and locate the right car you are in.
Many passengers would stop and take some pictures of the train. The train is sleek, thin and long with its head looking like a plane. The train is one of the design of CRH series. It is designed to travel at 350 km per hour.
However, the trains are only allowed to run at 300 km per hour due to the safety factor - keeping a required safe distance between following trains.
Mainly there are two kinds of seats - 5-seat row ( second class) and 4-seat row (first class). Some high speed trains have 8 cars and others have 16 cars.
There is a snack car on the train where you may have coffee, snacks and fast food. The inside of the train has a futuristic look as well with comfortable seats, wide windows, smartly dressed attendants and food service better than a plane.
It is easy to get on the train as the train is at a high level platform. And all the stations on route are built with high level platforms. This males it so easy to handle your heavy suitcases onto the train.
A 5-seat row ( second class) car
Put your large suitcases on the luggage rack by the door in the linkage area.
The train starts so smoothly that you won't feel you are moving. But once out of the train station, the train speeds up to around 300 km per hour. If you don't look at the outside through the window, you won't realize you are on a moving train. The electronic information board in each end of each car showing the train speed and next station stop.
All this is due to the elevated track that uses slab construction that holds the continuously welded rail. All the local traffic moves under the elevated track so there are no level crossings or underpasses.
Lunch can be bought in the coach car from an attendant who supplies it from an airline type cart.
The slab non-ballasted tracks for high speed trains make the trains smoother and comfortable different from common trains on ballasted track.
Train tracks on a high level viaduct
For the Beijing Xian High Speed Train, the Beijing terminus is Beijing West Railway Station, with the Xian terminus at Xian North Railway Station. The major calling points are Shijiazhuang, Anyang and Luoyang on route.
Arriving at Xian North Railway Station
Arriving at Xian North Railway Station, it is both money-saving and convenient to take subway line 2 directly from the train station to the downtown Xian ( Bell Tower ).
Note: There are some luggage deposit offices in the station to store your baggage.
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Xian guided tours:
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