Shenzhen - Zhangjiajie Train

At present, there are only two pairs of normal speed K trains running overnight between Shenzhen East Railway Station / Shenzhen West Railway Station and Zhangjiajie Railway Station/Zhangjiajie West Railway Station, whose distance between is about 1,500 km (930 mi). For a one-way ride, K9064/ 9066 need 17-18 hours and K9005/ 9006 need around 14.5 hours. Ticket fare for a hard sleeper costs around CNY 400.5 - 466.5.

If you want to save time, a transfer in Changsha is recommended because both the sections of Shenzhen - Changsha and Changsha - Zhangjiajie can be finished by high speed train now.
  (Last Update on Jan 25, 2021)

Soft Sleeper	Hard Sleeper	Hard Seat
CNY 607.5 USD 94	CNY 396.5 USD 61	CNY 202.5 USD 31

Shenzhen - Zhangjiajie Railway Map

Stations along the way for K9064/9066: Guangzhou, Shaoguan East, Chenzhou, Leiyang, Hengyang, Zhuzhou, Changsha, Yiyang, Changde, Linli, Shimenxian North, Cili

Stations along the way for K9005/9006: Guangzhou, Shaoguan East, Chenzhou, Hengyang, Zhuzhou, Changsha, Yiyang, Changde, Taoyuan
  If the current schedule does not meet your travel plan, or the tickets have been sold out, or you want to travel in a more time-saving way, a transfer in Changsha is a good choice.

Route	Schedule	Duration	Ticket Fare
Shenzhen – Changsha High Speed Train	Over 45 pairs each day	3 – 4 hours	No more than CNY 400 for a second class seat
Changsha – Zhangjiajie Train	22 pairs a day	2.5 – 3.5 hours	No more than CNY 115 for a second class seat
Total	---	5.5 – 7.5 hours	No more than CNY 515 for second class seats

However, there is one inconvenience for this transfer as the Shenzhen - Changsha bullet trains are operated at Changsha South Station while Changsha - Zhangjiajie high speed trains are at Changsha Station. Fortunately, the two have been connected by metro line 2 and a metro ride can finish the distance between in about 35 minutes. If by taxi, it takes about 25 minutes and CNY 30-35. Passengers are advised to leave at least 1.5 hours for a transfer between the two railway stations.
 The flight is an even more time-saving way. However, there is only one pairs of direct flights. From Shenzhen to Zhangjiajie, it takes off at 22:15 and arrives at 23:55; from Zhangjiajie to Shenzhen, it departures at 07:05 and lands at 08:45. The flight ticket fare varies from CNY 800 to CNY 1,000 on usual days. 
 The high speed railway between Changsha and Zhangjiajie has been put into use. So there is a great possibility the Shenzhen – Changsha high speed train will go further along it to reach Zhangjiajie. If it comes true, the travel time along railtrack between Shenzhen and Zhangjiajie will be greatly shortened to 4 – 5.5 hours.