Transportation -- Railway

It is more than a hundred years since the railway system was first established in China and it is now the backbone of the nation's internal transportation network and a vital part of the infrastructure. With the inception of reform and an opening up to the outside world, China's railway has enjoyed huge investment resulting in new building, reconstruction and modernization as well as raising the standards of the overall high quality service.

With Beijing as its hub, the railway links all the provincial capitals providing a network that serves all parts of China. There are sixteen trunk lines crisscrossing the country. Of these the Beijing-Kowloon line is the longest covering more than 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles). Other notable long distance routes link Beijing with Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Harbin. The very latest and probably the most exciting development has been the already world-famous Tibet Railway, a quarter of which is electrified. Opened in July 2006, the traffic along the line has already covered a total of some 80,000 kilometers (49,710 miles). The railway operates at the highest land altitudes ever and the passenger compartments are pressurized in the same manner as civil aircraft.

International railways serve the routes to Ulan Boator (Mongolia), Moscow (Russia), Pyongyang (North Korea), Alma-ata (Kazakhstan) and Hanoi (Vietnam).

With the passenger transport capacity of about one billion a year, China's railway is always very busy; the trains and train stations are usually very crowded. In order to alleviate the congestion and improve efficiency, Steps have been taken to increase speeds, thus reducing journey times and allowing faster turn round, while ensuring high standards of safety. This means the modern trains can operate at speeds between 160 and 200 kilometers (99 ~ 124 miles) per hour.

Almost all the Chinese cities have their own railway stations, some have more than one, like Beijing, where there are five train stations; the largest of these is the Beijing West Railway Station. These stations provide passenger related facilities and services such as a dining hall, coffee house, shops, phone booths and newsstands. Tickets can be purchased in the Ticket Booking Hall but you have to be fully prepared to join long queues and suffer the crowds. Actually, train tickets are difficult to buy in China, especially during the high travel season or at the start and finish of national holidays such as the Spring Festival, May Day, and National Day as well as the summer or winter vacation. There are many ticket agencies throughout the city where a 24 hour service is available. However, a fee of 5 Yuan is added to the ticket price at these outlets. It is often more convenient to obtain your tickets through a travel agent or at the Reception Desk of your hotel. While this is both convenient and time saving, there can be a service charge of 20 to 100 Yuan per ticket, maybe more if the tickets are delivered to you. Usually, more will be charged during the peak periods such as the Golden Week or high tourist season. Normally, train tickets can be booked between 3 to 15 days ahead of travel time subject to variations depending upon the city or time of year. So as to avoid disappointment you are advised to book your tickets as early as possible.

Train ticket price vary according to the standard of the seats you require. There are four kinds of train seats in China - soft berth, hard berth, soft seat and hard seat. These can be distinguished as follows:

Soft Berth - These are private compartments in the soft sleeper carriages which are fitted out to a higher standard. Each compartment has four bunks and a double action door so that separate access is available to the two upper and two lower bunks. Comfortable bedding and good quality pillows are provided. Each bunk is equipped with a small reading lamp. The controls for temperature and volume are installed alongside the door. The facilities include a clothes rack, slippers, clothes brush, stainless steel thermos, fine porcelain teacup and a trash can. A toilet with a squat-close stool is only available on soft sleeper carriages, with a supply of toilet paper. The price is a little higher than the other kinds of seats.

Hard Berth - The so-called hard sleeper is generally less comfortable than the soft sleeper. The open compartments comprise six bunks, fixed as an upper, middle and lower on either side. Basic bedding like tick, blanket and pillow are provided. The space tends to be cramped and inclined to be noisy at times. However, if you are obliged to take an overnight train trip, the hard berth is highly cost effective, but the tickets are extremely hard to buy due to demand.

Soft Seat - No bunks for sleeping, just a nice, comfortable cushioned seat is provided. The carriage is clean and roomy. Tickets are much easier to get with a little higher price than the hard sleeper, but not all trains have the soft seat carriages.

Hard Seat - This is the basic way to take a train trip with the lowest price. As the name implies it is something of an ordeal, especially for a long or an overnight journey. The seating is not upholstered and the carriages tend to be not very clean. It is always noisy and crowded with people especially during peak times or the high travel season on the most popular railway routes. It can even be a struggle to stand rather than sit as standing-room-only tickets are also sold. The toilets are usually unclean and incommodious (only 1.2 square yards) and no toilet paper is supplied. For the adventurous or maybe just a short daytime journey this is OK as it is a wonderful way to experience something of the timelessness of real China and its people.

Passenger trains are numbered by numerals with the capital Chinese phonetic letters in front. Different letters imply different trains like following:

Z - Through Train
T - High-speed Train
K - Express Train
N - Fast Train
L - Passenger Extra (Temporary Train)
Y - Tourist Train
Only four-bit figures without any letters in front - Local Train (Slow Train; Accommodation Train)

Other Tips
1. As demand means that train tickets are generally difficult to come by in China, do purchase them as early as possible; make your booking through a travel agency or your hotel may prove more helpful.
2. After you have purchased your ticket, you should arrive at the train station at least half an hour ahead of the published departure time if you are not to miss your train.
3. The China Ministry of Railways stipulates that the weight of hand luggage you carry onto the train is limited to a maximum of 20 kilograms (44 pounds); other baggage can be checked onto the train and the related formalities should be transacted at the railway station before your departure.
4. The announcement of the railway station is broadcast in Chinese, but in some big cities like Xian, Beijing and Shanghai, it is also broadcast in English, and the bilingual signs in both Chinese and English will be helpful.
5. Trains stand in stations just long enough for people to get on and off. For that reason it is wise not to alight from a train during your journey for any reason as it may well leave before you can get back on board.
6. Most overnight trains have a dinning car where you can take a meal. On all trains, a trolley service selling items of food, drink, socks, magazines and other small wares, will go regularly back and forth through the carriages during your journey.
7. Do keep safe and be careful to guard against theft. Never leave your seat empty or unattended at any time.
8. Be prepared to cope with the crowds and some inconvenience, rail travel in China is a cultural experience to be enjoyed; it is bound to be memorable!