Rail is the most commonly used transport mode for domestic long distance tours. As China's transport hub, Beijing has four major railway stations: Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West, Beijing South and Beijing North. Many bus routes serve these stations.

Beijing Railway Station

Address: No A13, Maojiawan Hutong, Dongcheng District

Telephone: +86 10 5101 9999

Handling Trains: North and coastal South China

Transportation: Subway, Bus, Taxi

Brief Introduction

Beijing Railway Station is an important hub for national railway transportation. Opened in the 1950s and covering an area of 25 hectares (61.8 acres), it became the biggest passenger transport station in 1959. The building was impressively grand, with a combination of rich traditional and modern-style architecture. It was considered one of the 10 great constructions in the capital during the 1950s.

Railway Lines

Beijing Railway Station is a top-grade national station that serves many lines, including Jingshan (Beijing to Shandong), Jingqin (Beijing to Shaanxi), Jinghu (Beijing to Shanghai), Jingcheng (Beijing to Chengde city of Hebei province), Jingyuan (Beijing to Shanxi) and Jingbao (Beijing to Baotou in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region). There are also international passenger trains that serve the Pyongyang, Ulan Bator and Moscow routes. Moreover, it also serves as a link between the inhabitants of the capital and the rest of the nation, as well as the Chinese people and the rest of the world.

Location

Beijing Railway Station is located right in the city center, just next to Jianguomen, and is within the confines of the city's Second Ring Road. It is located conveniently nearby public transportation. Numerous public buses and trains on subway Line 2 pass close to the station. There are subway stops adjacent to the station, and there are buses taking passengers to both the inner and outer city. The station itself can hold over 8,000 passengers at any time.

Beijing West Railway Station

Address: No 19, Guanglian Lu, Fengtai District

Telephone: +86-10-51824233

Handling Trains: South, southwest and northwest China

Transportation: Bus, Taxi

Brief Introduction

Beijing West Railway Station was opened in early 1996 after three years of construction. Covering an area of 51 hectares, it is one of the largest railway stations in Asia. The whole building complex is designed in the shape of the Chinese character "品". Its operation commenced in October 1995. The station was expanded in 2000, establishing additional parking lots, and is now able to handle 300,000 passengers per day.

Railway Lines

Trains departing from Beijing West leave for destinations in central South China, South China, southwest China and northwest China. The construction of this station has greatly relieved the transportation pressure of Beijing Railway Station. Many trains depart from and arrive at this particular station, transporting more than 100,000 passengers a day. Roughly 200,000 passengers pass through the station during daily peak hours, making it the nation's largest and busiest passenger station. The well-known Jingjiu Railway Line, serving Beijing to Kowloon, begins at this station. The station also has vast parking lots for passenger convenience.

Location

Beijing West Railway Station is located in western Beijing's Fengtai district. To the south of Beijing World Art Museum and China Central Television Station, there is a well-constructed underground subway network that will be connected with subway Line 9. Inside the public square, public transportation lines take passengers to each of the urban districts. It is undoubtedly an important showcase of complex rail networks in the capital.

Beijing South Railway Station

Address: No 12, Yongdingmenwai, Chongwen District

Telephone: +86-10-51836272

Handling Trains: High-speed railways

Transportation: Subway, Bus, Taxi

Brief Introduction

Beijing South Railway Station is a new and massive railway station on the south side of Beijing. After reconstruction, it became the largest station in Asia, beginning service on August 1, 2008. The new station replaced the old Beijing South Station. The history of this station can be traced back to 1897 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when it was called Yongdingmen Railway Station or Majiabao Railway Station. Slow trains arrive and depart from this station.

Railway Lines

Over 300 pairs of trains arrive and start from this station. This station serves trains running on high-speed railways, including the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway and direct trains to Jinan and Qingdao. The trains can reach speeds above 350 km/h. It only takes half an hour and five hours, respectively, from Beijing to Tianjin and from Beijing to Shanghai.

Location

The new Beijing South Railway Station is situated at the border of Xuanwu, Chongwen and Fengtai districts. The new station houses five stories, two aboveground and three underground. The second underground floor and the third underground floor are, respectively, connected with subway Line 4 and Line 14 stations. Passengers can transfer to the subway trains without transferring out of the railway station.

Beijing North Railway

Address: North Xizhimen subway station, Xicheng district

Telephone: +86-10-51866223

Handling Trains: Tourist and short-distance trains

Transportation: Subway, Bus, Taxi

Brief Introduction

Beijing North Railway Station, formerly known as Xizhimen Railway Station, is a railway station in Beijing, China. It was built in 1906 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) as one of the original stations on the famous Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, the first railway in China. The railway starts from this station and provides important access to northwest Beijing. The railway and station were both designed and inspected by Zhan Tianyou, China's first railway engineer.

Railway Lines

Beijing North Railway Station is a small station (Tier-III) managed by the Beijing Railway Bureau. It provides regular intercity train service to the north and northwest. It also services tourist trains to Beijing's suburbs and nearby locations. It also provides short-distance trains from Beijing to Hebei province and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Location

Beijing North Railway Station is a rather small station. It is located north of the Xizhimen subway station and accessible by Lines 2 and Line 13 of the Beijing Subway. There are also numerous city bus lines that reach Beijing North Railway Station. At present, this station is under reconstruction, and only a few trains arrive and start from here. In the future, it will be larger and more modern.