Introducing China trains, types of tickets, ticket guides and shopping tips and cancellation
The difference between China trains and the numbering of trains
|
Description |
Speed |
Train type |
High speed trains |
||
|
Fastest train Long distances between big cities |
Usually 300 km/h And 350 km/h in new ones |
G High speed |
|
Minimum distances of long between cities |
250 km/h |
D Electronic multiple units (EMU) |
|
Short distances between small cities |
200km/h |
C Intercity EMU |
Normal types |
||
|
Straight to the destination Or low stops at important stations |
160km/h |
Z Direct express |
|
Low stops at important stations |
140km/h |
T express |
|
More stops between the way stations |
120km/h |
K fast |
|
Train number starts at 1,2,3,4 or 5 It stops at more stations |
120km/h |
Ordinary fast |
|
Normal trains Train number starts at 6,7,8 or 9 It stops at almost all stations |
100km/h |
fast |
|
Urgency trains for busy times like Chinese new year Eve Long stops |
100km/h |
L temporary |
|
Usually during peak times and for touristic destinations
|
100km/h |
Y Tourism |
|
Trains which connect downtown and urban areas around city |
100km/h |
S suburban |
|
Coal trains Only in mountains of Leishan mines of Sichuan province |
20km/h |
Steam trains |
Different types of trains and seats in China trains
In fast trains
There are three different types of seats and naturally with different prices in ordinary trains, business class, class 1 and class 2. class one is about 60% more expensive than class two and the business class is 50% more expensive than class one. The difference is very clear in the pictures while neither beds are sleeping beds.
Business class
Class one
Class two
In ordinary trains
Usually 3 and some times 4 or 5 types of tickets are sold in following order. Tickets of ordinary seats are soft or had in any trains, but other types of seats are offered depending on crowds or audiences.
Standing: believe it or not, it is a type of ticket in ordinary trains. Passengers are standing along the road and they are probably hoping for an open space.
Normal seats: normal seats which you can see in pictures below, are in a same price with standing.
Hard sleep rides: sleeping beds are in six-seat coupes without door. In the pictures below, every thing is evident. The beds are not hard but the mattresses are not very soft and they are 50% more expensive than normal seats.
Soft bed (coupe): a four-seats room with more apace. This ticket is 50% more expensive than previous one.
Deluxe coupe: a four-seats room with more space and facilities and 50% more expensive than previous one.
Note that bedding seats tickets are filled up faster, some times days before travel! In the case of night time trips, which are more usual, if you buy bedding tickets in a good time, you will also save some money for hotel costs. Many Iranians who want to save money, believe that trains are the cheapest way to travel; in some cases it is. But if you go for airline tickets on time, it will also be cheaper than trains with less time and less tiredness along the way. Fast trains in China between major cities can be a very good option for travel, but if your destination does not have fast trains, ask for duration of trip, most of them are long and boring so think about domestic flights.
China train ticket guidance
You will usually receive one of these two types of tickets shown in the picture. The description of Chinese writings or clear in the picture. You can check you ticket to make sure about correctness of every thing. Each ticket has ticket price, origin and destination, train number, passenger name, passport number and seat number with many other information.
Cancellation and returning the price of ticket
If you cancel the ticket 15 days before the trip, all amount of the money you pay will refunded. Of course this does not include fees. From 15 days until the day before travel time, from 5% to 20% of the price will reduced in returning. It is the same for changing situations. In electronic purchases, money will return to your account a bit later. But if you want to cancel after the travel’s time, you wont receive any pay backs.
