Xian Train Schedule

Xian Railway Station

With a reputation as 'the Gateway to the West', Xian is one of the most pivotal terminals of the domestic railway system in China. It is the key junction between the southwest and the northwest, and forms a connecting link between the east and the west of China.

At present, there are about 190 scheduled trains passing by or stopping here daily. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Lhasa, Dunhuang and Mt. Huashan as well as some other big cities and tour destinations in China are available from Xian. For passengers traveling between Xian and the other cities and counties in Shaanxi Province, the Xian Railway Station supplies frequent trains all the year round. The China Train Search offers detailed train information.

 Xian Railway Station
The present Xian Railway Station was put into use in 1935, combining the Chinese and western architectural styles. It is located in 151 Huancheng Bei Lu, Xincheng District, Xian City, close to the business center.  Except for Xian-Zhengzhou high-speed trains, Xian Railway Station undertakes the most passenger transportation task. The railway station consists of the Main Building, the Anterior Square, the East Square and the West Square. The two-storey Main Building which is about 7,425 square meters (1.83 acres) includes four waiting halls with the Ticket Hall to its east and the Exit of the Railway Station to its west. The Anterior Square is used for taxi parking and a temporary waiting hall in the peak time. The East Square and the West Square assemble a great of number of city-buses, long-distance bus stations and car parks. Tourist city buses to Terra Cotta Warriors, Mt. Huashan and Famen Temple set pick-up stops at the East Square. 
 How to reach Xian Railway Station from downtown Xian?

 What should I know about Xian Railway Station?

 Xian North Railway Station

Waiting Hall of Xian North Railway Station

Xian North Railway Station has been in service since Jan. 2011.  It is said to be one of the biggest passenger rail transport stations in Asia after its completion. The new railway station is located at the joint area of the 3rd Ring Road, axis road of northern Xian and the city's loop expressway. It is about 12 kilometers from the city center and 20 kilometers from Xian Airport. In the city's master planning, Xian North Railway Station is the principle railway hub. In the first phrase, 5 ticket halls, 6 ticket windows, 29 automatic ticket windows and 38 check-in machines have been opened initially along with the south square and south part of the waiting hall (north square and north part of the building are still undergoing construction). On the opening day, 14 pairs of Xian-Zhengzhou high-speed trains and D319 (Beijing West - Chongqing) are firstly moved to the new station from Xian Railway Station. Xian-Baoji high-speed trains maintain the same in Xian Railway Station. In the near future, high-speed bullet trains can depart from this new station to Lanzhou, Chengdu, Taiyuan, Beijing and Shanghai. 

 How to reach Xian North Railway Station from downtown Xian?
• By Bus: There are 4 new bus routes available nowned. 
Bus No. 263 (06:00-19:30): East Gate - Daming Palace area - Xian North Railway Station
Bus No. 264 (06:30-19:30): Laodong Road - Yuxiang Gate - Xian North Railway Station
Bus No. 265 (06:30-19:30): Zhangjiabao - Xian North Railway Station
Bus No. 266 (06:00-23:00): Xian Railway Station West - Xian North Railway Station

• By Subway: Xian Subway Line 2 runs from Chang'an District in the southern part of the city to Xian North Railway Station via the city center. Line 2 is scheduled to be put into service at the end of September, 2011. Before that, passengers can only reach Xian North Railway Station by city bus.

Buying Train Ticket
 Where to buy train tickets?
Purchasing train tickets can be troublesome for western travelers, as the ticket windows are usually crowded and have few English-speaking staff. One solution to such a problem is to ask for the ticket-booking service at any star rated hotel. They offer their assistance for a nominal service charge. Alternatively, if you get the detailed train information and can recognize some simple Chinese, it is also an interesting experience to get the tickets yourself.

 Buy Ticket at the Xian Railway Stations
At present, the train ticket can be bought at the Ticket Hall of  railway stations and the other 87 ticket halls scattered throughout Xian City. The Ticket Hall of Xian Railway Station is east of the waiting hall. Usually, you can get the tickets 3-10 days in advance in 24 hours daily. 
 
 Buy Ticket at the Railway Ticket Offices
In the other 87 ticket offices throughout the downtown area of Xian City, you can buy ticket 3-10 days in advance with CNY5 service charge per ticket. Some ticket offices are listed below: 

Ticket Office						Chinese Version	Address						Working Hour
Long Hai						陇海	No.1, Xi Wu Lu (500 meters south to the railway station)						24 hours
Dong Li Da Sha (Dongli Mansion)						东立大厦	No.187, Huancheng Bei Lu						24 hours
Wei Er Jie (Weier Street)						纬二街	At Yanta Culture Plaza						24 hours
Guang Dian Zhong Xin (Shaanxi Radio Film and TV Center)						广电中心	No.336, Chang'an Nan Lu						08:00~12:00 12:30~18:00
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China						中国工商银行	More than 20 branches in Xian City have ticket halls						08:00~12:00 12:30~18:00

 Q & A:
Is it necessary to purchase ticket in advance?
Please reserve your tickets as early as possible especially during the tour seasons and Chinese public holidays. During these periods, you will find that there are long lines in front of every ticket hall all the time. What's more, although the holiday of Chinese Spring Festival is just 7 days, the railway station is always busy for more than one month around the holiday. Finally, because there are so many universities in Xian, the beginning of July and the end of August are also very crowded in the railway station annually.

Is it safe to purchase ticket from any private sellers?
Please don't purchase tickets from any private ticket sellers around the railway station.

Can I purchase the ticket by using my credit card?
Only cash payment was feasible on the spot of purchasing the train ticket before. For the convenience of passengers, payment by bank cards has been available at 256 train stations nationwide since January 19, 2011. To use a card, passengers should notice that the departure and arrival stations must be among those 256 train stations. Each train station has some ticket windows installed the Point-of-Sale (POS) machines. Xian, Xian North (CHR station) and Xian South train stations are available to offer the card payment service, together with other twelve stations in Shaanxi Province: Weinan North (CHR station), Weinan, Huashan North (CHR station), Huashan, Baoji, Xianyang, Yangling, Yulin, Yan'an, Hanzhong, Shangluo and Ankang. In early stage, it only applies to the cards of Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, Agricultural Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

Am I entitled to return the unused ticket? Can I demand a refund?
Yes! The ticket can be returned before the train's leaving at the Ticket Hall of Xian Railway Station. However, there is a 5% cancellation charge. During travel peaks, the time for returning tickets may be limited. Please note the return of tickets may not be allowed if you book the tickets through an agency. You'd better confirm the regulations of the specific agency before booking.

Can I exchange my ticket for a different travel date or time?
You are allowed to change your travel date and time before the scheduled departure. For bullet trains, a ticket change is still allowed in two hours after the scheduled departure time. The office to change the train ticket is located to the west of the entrance to the Xian Railway Station, Ticket Hall No. 3 of Xian North Railway Station.

Where to buy the platform ticket? How much is it?
The platform ticket can be bought at the window near the exit of Xian Railway Station. When buying the platform ticket, you are required to show your valid ticket of that time and pay CNY1 per ticket. Please note that one valid train ticket can only be used to buy one platform ticket. After getting the platform ticket, the worker will mark your train ticket. During the travel peaks, no platform ticket is provided, for example during the Spring Festival Travel Rush.

 Recommended Xian Train Travel:
Xian Luoyang Train Tour: 1 day express train tour from Xian to Luoyang to visit Shaolin Temple and Longmen Caves
Xian-Luoyang Tour: 5-day tour to visit Xian and Luoyang popular attractions

 Recommended Nearby Hotels of Xian Railway Station:
Grand Soluxe International Hotel, Xian    Jinjiang Inn Xian Jiefang Road(Comfort Inn)