Most Useful Chinese Phrases for China Train Travel

China has a long history of trains, particular in different types. Fuxiang Train (复兴号) and Gaotie (高铁) are the most popular train types in recent years, from which you can experience a breathtaking fastest speed and superior facilities than on the plane. See the train categories you may want to distinguish from each other on train tickets.

Fuxing Train 复兴号

G Train/ High Speed Train 高铁 (Gaotie)

D Train/Bullet Train 动车

Z Train/Non-stop (Through/Direct) Train 直达列车

T Train/Express Train 特快列车

K Train/Fast Train 快速列车

C Train/Intercity High Speed Train 城际高铁

Example:

Beijing to Shanghai G115 high speed train 北京到上海的G115高铁车次

Xian to Chengdu D1925 bullet train 北京到上海的D1925动车

A Winding Fuxing Train Departing from Beijing

To make sure you hold the tickets right in hand before boarding, travelers have to arrive at train station beforehand. Subway, public bus, taxi or private car, shuttle bus are the regular way to get to railway station. Major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu all offers fast and convenient subway transportation to main railway stations. As for independent traveler, you can take a local taxi to arrive train station. Some cabs in big cities and top tourist cities can provide simple English service for passengers.

Xian North Railway Station 西安北站

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station 上海虹桥火车站

Entrance 进站口

Lost and Found 失物招领

Example:

Please drive me to Beijing West Railway Station.

请送我到北京西火车站

Could you drop me off at Chengdu East Train Station？

你能送我到成都东站火车站吗？

Can you get the train station before 3 o’clock?

你能在三点之前送我到火车站吗？

Excuse me, could you tell me which bus I should take to go to the railway station?

打扰一下，请问我该乘哪路车到火车站？

Excuse me. Does this bus go to the railway station? (You can check the bus schedule and show the Chinese name of the train station)

打扰一下，请问这辆车会到火车站吗？

Excuse me. Which bus I can take to get to Beijing South Train Station?
打扰一下，请问我可以坐几路公交车到北京南火车站？

Excuse me. How can I go to Shanghai Hongqiao Train Station?
打扰一下，请问上海虹桥火车站怎么走？

Taking a Taxi to Train Station

In China, most cities have more than one railway station, such as Beijing has 5 train stations: Beijing South & West Railway Station and etc. Normally a city builds one main station earlier and adds more in different directions. Most train stations built in recent years have set up signs in both English and Chinese , from which you may easily distinguish from each other, but only simplified Chinese and Pinyin are printed on tickets. So how to recognize it from the train ticket and get to the correct one, here is the bilingual contrast you can refer to.

Beijing South Railway Station (北京南站) - Běijīngnán Zhàn (Chinese Pinyin)

Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站) - Běijīngxī Zhàn (Chinese Pinyin)

Beijing East Railway Station (北京西站) – Běijīngdōng Zhàn (Chinese Pinyin)

Beijing Railway Station (北京站) – Běijīngzhàn (Chinese Pinyin)

Beijing North Railway Station (北京北站) - Běijīngběi Zhàn (Chinese Pinyin)

A High Speed Train Ticket from Yixing to Nanjing

If want to book train ticket without knowing Chinese, it’s quite convenient to get that through an agency. You need to firstly give them all your requirements (including travel date, class of ticket and etc.) in advance, for the ticket will be sold out soon. Also you can book ticket online or from mobile app, and then you have to collect ticket physically lining up at the ticket office, where you could also purchase tickets yourself. www.12306.cn is the official website of China Railway, where foreigners can book tickets from.

Where to collect ticket

Please note that foreigners can only physically go to the train station and collect (or buy ticket) from ticket counters in the Ticket Office, while the Automatic Ticket Machine and E-ticket Pickup Machine are not available for foreign nationalities.

Ticket Office/Booking Office 售票处

Temporary Ticket Office 临时售票处

Automatic Ticket Machine 自动售取票机

E-ticket Pick-up Machine 自动取票机

Ticket Counter 售票窗口

Authorized Ticket Agents/Outlet 车票代售点

Alter Ticket 改签

Change Destination 变更到站

Ticket Counter for Cancellation/Alteration 退改窗口

Upgrade to Business Class 升级至商务座

Most Useful Phrases:

Excuse me, where is the ticket office?

请问火车售票处在哪里?

When is the next high speed train from Shanghai to Beijing?

上海到北京最近的高铁车是几点？

I’d like two first class tickets for high speed train from Shanghai to Beijing, please.

您好，我想订两张上海去北京的一等座火车票。

How long will the journey takes？

这趟火车要坐多久？

Non-chinese Should Collect Tiicket at Train Station

Foreigners are Required to Buy Ticket with Passport

Currently, there are mainly two kinds of paper train tickets in China: red ordinary train ticket and light blue magnetic train ticket. Both tickets are issued by the railway authority and valid for boarding. Passengers for high speed trains will hold the blue magnetic tickets, which can be used for automatically checking system at the ticket check while the red-color ticket have to be checked by train staff only. Generally speaking, the red tickets are usually issued in small railway stations and for normal trains.>> How to read train ticket

Train Number 车次

Departure Station 出发站

Arrival Station/Terminal 终到站

Departure Time 出发时间

Arrival Time 到达时间

Riding Time 乘车时长

Children Ticket 儿童票

Business Class Seat 商务座

Premier Class Seat 特等座

First Class Seat 一等座

Second Class Seat 二等座

Sleeping Car/Sleeper 卧铺

Hard Seat 硬座

Soft Seat 软座

Hard Sleeper 硬卧

Soft Sleeper 软卧

Deluxe Soft Sleeper

Sleeper on Bullet Train 动卧

Upper Berth 上铺

Middle Berth 中铺

Lower Berth 下铺

Most Useful Words:

Excuse me, where is the ticket office?

请问火车售票处在哪里?

When is the next train from Shanghai to Beijing?

上海到北京最近的火车是几点？

I’d like two first class tickets for high speed train from Beijing to Beijing, please.

您好，我想订两张去北京的火车票。

How long will the journey takes？

这趟火车要坐多久？

Read Your Train Ticket Carefully

Berths in Hard Sleeper Coach

Deluxe Bussiness Class Coach

Early arrival at train station is very necessary to avoid missing your train, because you have to queue up to go through identity, security and finding the right location of ticket check. Read the frequently used signs and indictors to board efficiently and quickly.

Ticket/Boarding Gate/Ticket Check 检票口

Free Luggage Allowance 免费携带物品

Train Timetable 列车时刻表

Waiting Room 候车厅

Departure Hall 出发大厅

Business Lounge 商务座休息室

Smoking Room 吸烟室

Train Information Display 列车信息显示屏

The Train Arrived Late 火车晚点

The Train Arrived On time 火车正点

Train Number 车次

Estimated Boarding Time 预计检票上车时间

Ticket Inspector 检票员

Platform 站台

Red-cap Porter 小红帽

Footbridge天桥

Underpass 地下通道

Railway Track 铁路轨道

Porter 搬运工人

Platform Indicator 站台指示牌

Example:

Passengers are checking for the train.正在检票

Passengers are waiting for the train. 正在候车

Where do I check in?

我要到哪里检票上车？

Train G7 is at platform 3

G7次列车停靠第三站台

Do I check in for the G122 train from Shanghai to Beijing here?

从上海到北京的G122次列车实在这儿检票吗？

Line Up to Enter Train Station

Stay in Waiting Hall for Checking

Ticket Check Gate

As you may imagine, a train is often visibly long with a great many coaches, high speed train is shorter with 8 or 16 carriages. A warm suggestion is that you should read your ticket carefully once you get it, and keep it in a place you can easily take out before find your seat. Read the following most helpful slogans to locate your car fast.

Coach/Carriage 车厢

Compartment 包厢

Berth/Bunk 铺位

Power Outlet 充电插座

Dining Car/ Restaurant Car 餐车

Boiler 开水箱

Buffet 小卖部

Toilet 卫生间

(Current Running) Speed 当前时速

Train Attendant 列车员

Conductor 列车长

Luggage/baggage Rack 行李架

Smoke Detector 烟雾警报器

Standstill/Stop 停车

Claim a Travel Record 车票挂失补办

Example:

Excuse me. Can you help me find my seat?

打扰一下，您能帮我找下我的座位吗？

Excuse me. Where is car 5 second seat 14C (on G123 high speed train from Beijing to Shanghai)?

打扰一下，请问 (北京到上海的G123高铁的) 2车厢二等座14C号座位在哪里？

Can you show me where is the buffet car, please?

打扰一下，请问小卖部怎么走？

Boarding China High Speed Train

Dining Car on Fuxing Train

Before the train arrives, a bilingual broadcast (Chinese Mandarin and English) will remind you’re the up-to-date news about the terminal. Check and get your luggage and ticket, prepare yourself for getting off the train. Keep your ticket well, because you need to check out with the them.

Exit 出站口

City Bus 城市公交

Maglev Train 磁悬浮列车

Airport Shuttle Bus 机场快线 Left Luggage Service 行李寄存服务

Left Luggage Service 行李寄存服务

Carry Your Luggage When Getting off Train