China High-Speed Rail Guide 2026: Booking, Tickets & Travel Tips

If you’re traveling between cities in mainland China, fast intercity and high-speed trains are excellent choices. Today’s high-speed trains zip along at incredible speeds, boast outstanding on-time performance, and offer clean, comfortable cars—making high-speed rail immensely popular across mainland China, with more and more travelers choosing to ride.

Trip.com is here to guide you through everything you need to know about high-speed rail, including train types, operating speeds, booking tickets, and travel tips. Read on!

What is China High-speed Rail?

China’s High-Speed Rail (China Railway Highspeed), often referred to as China High-Speed Rail or simply high-speed rail, is the network of high-speed lines built and operating across the country—an essential pillar of modern transportation in China.

As of 2019, out of the nation’s 34 provincial-level administrative regions, all had high-speed rail service except Tibet and Macau. By the end of 2023, the mainland’s high-speed rail route network had an operating length of 159,000 kilometers, with 45,000 kilometers of that being high-speed rail—the longest high-speed network in the world.

Hundreds of train stations serve as termini and stops for the thousands of high-speed routes that crisscross China, making it remarkably easy to explore far and wide.

Additionally, China’s high-speed rail aims to expand its total length to 70,000 kilometers by 2035, reaching more than 90% of the population.

The Difference Between High-Speed Rail and EMU Trains

• Speed: High-speed rail typically refers to trains designed for speeds above 200 km/h, while EMU (electric multiple-unit) services can range from 160 km/h to 300 km/h. Overall, high-speed rail is generally faster.
• Tracks: High-speed rail runs on dedicated lines engineered for fast trains, with stricter limits on curves and grades, while EMU trains can operate on both high-speed and conventional rail lines.
• Train types: High-speed rail usually refers to trains formed by high-speed electric multiple units (EMUs), such as the CRH series, whereas EMUs as a category can include many different models—some of them running at lower speeds on intercity or regional routes.
• Service scope: High-speed rail is typically used to connect major cities over long distances, while EMU trains are more commonly used for medium-distance intercity travel.
• Comfort: High-speed trains usually offer a higher level of comfort and service, with roomier seats and better onboard amenities.
• Cost: Because building and operating high-speed rail is more expensive, high-speed rail tickets are usually pricier than those for dongche (D-series) trains.
• Technology: High-speed trains use advanced aerodynamic designs to reduce drag and boost energy efficiency, while electric multiple units (EMUs) may employ a variety of different technologies.
• Service frequency: On some busy routes, high-speed trains may run more often, giving you more departure times to choose from.

All in all, high-speed trains and EMU services each play their part in China’s rail network, and travelers can choose the train type that best fits their travel needs, schedule, and budget.

What do the Letters Before a Train Number Mean?

High-Speed Rail Category

• G-series trains—China’s sleek bullet trains—are the fastest on the rails, reaching speeds of up to 400 km/h (about 249 mph). Tickets for this category are the most expensive.
• D-series trains (bullet trains, EMUs) are the second-fastest in China, reaching top speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour. They stop only at major cities, and some services don’t make any intermediate stops at all.
• C-prefixed intercity trains specifically refer to high-speed electric multiple units (EMUs). They primarily serve short routes, such as the Beijing–Tianjin line—a 120-kilometer journey that takes about 30 minutes.

Conventional Train Types

Because regular trains run more slowly and make more stops, they offer options like sleeper berths as well as soft and hard seats. Soft- or hard-seat tickets are cheaper, but they’re not ideal if you’re traveling overnight. The following trains offer sleeper berths and both soft and hard seats:

• Z-series trains (Direct Express, non-stop) run between all major cities nationwide, stopping at the main train stations. Since these trains are usually overnight services, you’ll find both hard sleeper and soft sleeper classes on board, and most also offer deluxe soft sleeper cabins.
• T-prefix trains (Express) run at slower speeds but cover longer routes. This category serves all major cities across the country and makes stops at large towns along the way. When booking, you can choose hard or soft sleepers, as well as hard or soft seats.
• K-prefix trains (fast trains) are the slowest and oldest domestic services, and they stop at the most stations. On board, you’ll find both hard-sleeper and soft-sleeper options.

How Fast Are China High-speed Trains?

Since China’s high-speed rail debuted, it’s been synonymous with speed, consistently ranking among the fastest in the world. On the Hong Kong section, trains run at up to 200 km/h (about 124 mph), making it the fastest cross-border land transport in the city. Once you enter the Mainland China section, speeds can soar to 350 km/h (about 217 mph).

China has also been working to push the limits of high-speed rail. The “CR450 Science and Technology Innovation Project,” a major research initiative under the national “14th Five-Year Plan,” includes multiple HSR technology breakthroughs, such as developing new Fuxing EMU trainsets. For now, the fastest service on the mainland is the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which runs from Beijing South Station to Shanghai Hongqiao Station, spans 1,318 kilometers, and has a design speed of 350 km/h.

Fuxing high-speed trains come in three classes—CR400, CR300, and CR200—where the number indicates the maximum speed. Their continuous operating speeds are 350, 250, and 160 km/h, respectively, tailored to high-speed rail (HSR), express rail, and intercity rail services. The fastest route on the Chinese mainland today is the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, stretching 1,318 kilometers from Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao. Designed for 350 km/h service, it’s also the world’s fastest high-speed rail line in commercial operation.

China’s Fuxing CR400AF and CR400BF high-speed trains currently maintain a maximum operating speed of 350 km/h. The next-generation CR450 is designed for a top stable speed of 450 km/h, with a sustained operating speed of 400 km/h. China State Railway Group also noted that it will continue to advance the CR450 innovation program this year, completing the latest EMU prototype and conducting type tests, with service entry expected by 2025. At up to 450 km/h, the CR450 could whisk travelers from Beijing to Shanghai in just 2.5 hours—down from the current fastest time of a little over four hours.

High-Speed Rail Travel Time

How to Take the High-Speed Rail from Hong Kong West Kowloon Station

Source: Wikipedia

Ride the high-speed rail from Hong Kong to mainland China

• Purchase tickets and enter through the gates on Level B1.
• Proceed to Level B3 to complete Hong Kong departure procedures and exit the Hong Kong checkpoint.
• Proceed to the Mainland Port Area on this level to complete Mainland China immigration procedures.
• After completing the procedures, you can relax in the waiting lounge; once the train arrives, head to Level B4 to board.

Heading back to Hong Kong by high-speed train from mainland China

• Once your train arrives at West Kowloon Terminus, get off at the B4-level platform.
• Make your way to Level B2 to complete Mainland China exit formalities and leave the Mainland Port Area.
• Next, make your way into the Hong Kong Port Area on the same floor to clear immigration.

High-speed Train Sleeper Berth

Key Features of High-Speed Train Sleepers

Generally, a sleeper high-speed train set includes 1 deluxe soft-sleeper car, 12 soft-sleeper cars, 2 second-class seat cars, and 1 dining car. The soft-sleeper coaches accommodate 496 passengers, and the second-class seat coaches seat 122.

The train can also cater to traveler preferences with distinctive local dishes, focusing on Sichuan cuisine, and you may have the chance to sample specialties from places like Hubei, Nanjing, and Shanghai.

Sleeper carriages are arranged into private 2-berth or 4-berth cabins. Each cabin’s TV and air-conditioning can be adjusted to your liking, and there’s even a sofa that makes it easy for business travelers to chat or hold a quick meeting.

1."The Most Luxurious Sleeper Car"

“This is currently the most high-end sleeper carriage in the country,” a representative explained. All berths are arranged as upper and lower bunks. A standard soft-sleeper compartment has four berths, and the bunks are 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) wider than those in a typical hard-sleeper. The deluxe soft-sleeper compartment has just two berths and also features a sofa, a wardrobe, and other amenities—very convenient and practical.

2. Every berth comes with its own TV and air conditioning

In the sleeper car, each berth has its own TV and personal headphones, with channels you can choose freely—so you can kick back and watch from bed without disturbing anyone. The onboard entertainment system is built to airline standards and offers four channels of programming, including looping movies and music.

Each compartment also has individually controlled air-conditioning, letting you set the room temperature just the way you like it, and the door is motion-sensing for easy, hands‑free entry and exit—super convenient.

3. Dining Cars Offering Regional Specialties

The sleeper train features a dining car located in the middle of the train, seating more than 50 guests at a time. It’s outfitted with microwaves, induction cooktops, refrigerators, and more, and the kitchen’s all-stainless-steel equipment can whip up delicious Chinese and Western dishes.

The train can also tailor offerings to travelers’ tastes with distinctive local specialties, focusing on Sichuan cuisine and including regional flavors from Hubei, Nanjing, Shanghai, and beyond. In addition to food, there’s a full range of beverages, served morning, noon, and night—and if you get hungry late at night, you can enjoy a late-night snack, too.

4. Runs so quietly it feels just like staying in a hotel

From what we’ve learned, high-speed sleeper trains run mostly at night, so getting quality shut-eye on board really matters. Even at high speeds, the ride is impressively smooth, with barely any vibration, and cabin noise is kept under 60 decibels—about 10 decibels quieter than a standard sleeper. The result is a wonderfully peaceful compartment that feels as quiet and comfortable as a hotel room!

More Hong Kong High-Speed Rail Guides