Aug 21, 2018, 7:14 am
Last edit by: moondog
I started this thread almost exactly 7 years ago. Not a lot has changed since then, but I think a wikipost is now justified:
-Jing refers to Beijing and Hu refers to Shanghai
-the smaller cities in the middle derive the greatest economic benefit from the service
-air fares have dropped a lot during the course of the past 7 years, and the delay situation has improved quite a bit, so I usually fly these days
-single digit trains tend to stop only in Nanjing, double digit trains stop in Nanjing and Jinan, and triple digit trains have up to 7 station stops.
-the vast majority of trains terminate at Shanghai Hongqiao, which isn't convenient for many people, but Shanghai Station service has recently been launched
-if you have a few days advance on your hands, buy tickets locally; in addition to being a little cheaper, this spares the need for will call
-Jing refers to Beijing and Hu refers to Shanghai
-the smaller cities in the middle derive the greatest economic benefit from the service
-air fares have dropped a lot during the course of the past 7 years, and the delay situation has improved quite a bit, so I usually fly these days
-single digit trains tend to stop only in Nanjing, double digit trains stop in Nanjing and Jinan, and triple digit trains have up to 7 station stops.
-the vast majority of trains terminate at Shanghai Hongqiao, which isn't convenient for many people, but Shanghai Station service has recently been launched
-if you have a few days advance on your hands, buy tickets locally; in addition to being a little cheaper, this spares the need for will call
The Jinghu (Beijing-Shanghai) High Speed Rail thread
Nov 21, 2012, 8:44 pm
#76
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Our delegation had a good HSR trip on this still astonishing line and everything went smoothly. Also personal "record" for me, eight one way HSR rides within one week. Not too keen to repeat that actually. 
Foodwise, do purchase before entering the station in most cases. At Honqgiao, the corridors between SHA T2 and the railway terminal feature a Burger King outlet among others, with far less crowds than the food vendors in the terminal itself. 1st and business class ticket holders get a small snack pack and soft drink for free but nothIng substantial.
Foodwise, do purchase before entering the station in most cases. At Honqgiao, the corridors between SHA T2 and the railway terminal feature a Burger King outlet among others, with far less crowds than the food vendors in the terminal itself. 1st and business class ticket holders get a small snack pack and soft drink for free but nothIng substantial.
Nov 25, 2012, 10:36 am
#77
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 516
Back at home. Plane ride was great (no turbulence!)
The train ride was pretty good. Spent the whole time in the dining car.
Only issue was finding the railroad station.
Got there via the subway and walked to the end of the station then saw signs for the airport, and got worried.
Turns out the railroad is on the 2nd floor. lol
Dining car was packed. Had to share a table with someone.
Subway at the Beijing station was easy to get to also.
The train ride was pretty good. Spent the whole time in the dining car.
Only issue was finding the railroad station.
Got there via the subway and walked to the end of the station then saw signs for the airport, and got worried.
Turns out the railroad is on the 2nd floor. lol
Dining car was packed. Had to share a table with someone.
Subway at the Beijing station was easy to get to also.
Nov 25, 2012, 4:44 pm
#79
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
You mean the actual train ticket? Nothing really, just depends on the ticket outlet and city and what printing model/paper stock they use. Each type now has your ID on it and a bar code. I've had HSR train tickets issued on the more traditional red stock as well as the more common blue stock. The automated machines (no longer useable without Chinese ID) spit out the blue type only, AFAIK.
Nov 25, 2012, 8:55 pm
#80
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,317
You mean the actual train ticket? Nothing really, just depends on the ticket outlet and city and what printing model/paper stock they use. Each type now has your ID on it and a bar code. I've had HSR train tickets issued on the more traditional red stock as well as the more common blue stock. The automated machines (no longer useable without Chinese ID) spit out the blue type only, AFAIK.
Nov 25, 2012, 9:27 pm
#81
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Asia/Europe
Programs: CX, OZ, MU (+AY, DL), Shangri-La, Hilton
Posts: 7,236
Anyone know something about those rumoured debit cards for non-Chinese ID holders to be used at the self-service ticket machines? Are they in operation somewhere among the network?
Nov 25, 2012, 10:33 pm
#83
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SIN / SFO
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Originally Posted by 中国银行
持卡人凭中铁银通卡可以在铁路安装有POS机的售票窗口、支持银行卡支付的自助售票机、中国铁路客户服务中 心网站www.12306.cn等渠道购票。
Nov 26, 2012, 7:12 am
#85
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YYZ, PVG
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Ex-UA-1K
Posts: 430
They do indeed exist, and work as advertised. They're called "中铁银通卡" and you can get them at Beijing South or some branches of BoC. I picked one up a few weeks ago and have successfully used it to purchase tickets for the BJ-SH train at the automated machines twice now (once in BJ, and once in SH).
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Railway Stations
Beijing South Station
Tianjin Station
Tanggu Station
Wuqing Station
Bank of China Branches
Tianjin
Quanzhou Rd. Branch, Yangcun Cultural Service Center,
Fujian Rd. West Branch, Fujian Xi Lu
Jianguo Rd. Sub-branch, 131 Jianguo Road
Huaxing St. Branch, Huaxing St., Rongxin Apartments on the 4th 底商
Youyi Rd. Branch, 8 North Youyi Rd., Bank of China Tower
Heping Branch, 80 North Jiefang Road
Beijing
Fengtai Branch, 2 You'anmenwai DajieNo. 2, Jianan Mansion
Taoranting Sub-branches, 3 East Baizhifang Street
Kaiheng Mansion Branch, 2 Chaoyangmennei Dajie, 1st Floor
Fangzhuang Center Branch, 23 3rd South Ring East Road, Opera & Dance Theater
Muxidi Sub-branch, 9 Maolin Complex, Unit 2, Haidian
Nov 26, 2012, 8:35 am
#86
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
And on the debit cards for train ticket purchase....
Looks like this is only available right now for our friends on the northern end of the route.
<snip>
Beijing
Fengtai Branch, 2 You'anmenwai DajieNo. 2, Jianan Mansion
Taoranting Sub-branches, 3 East Baizhifang Street
Kaiheng Mansion Branch, 2 Chaoyangmennei Dajie, 1st Floor
Fangzhuang Center Branch, 23 3rd South Ring East Road, Opera & Dance Theater
Muxidi Sub-branch, 9 Maolin Complex, Unit 2, Haidian
<snip>
Beijing
Fengtai Branch, 2 You'anmenwai DajieNo. 2, Jianan Mansion
Taoranting Sub-branches, 3 East Baizhifang Street
Kaiheng Mansion Branch, 2 Chaoyangmennei Dajie, 1st Floor
Fangzhuang Center Branch, 23 3rd South Ring East Road, Opera & Dance Theater
Muxidi Sub-branch, 9 Maolin Complex, Unit 2, Haidian
Nov 26, 2012, 9:53 am
#87
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SIN / SFO
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Anybody pick up on the fact that all of these branches of BoC happen to be located in Beijing's NON-foreigner locations? In other words, no convenient purchase point in the the locations (central Chaoyang and university-area Haidian Districts) where the people who could really use them, live and work/study. This is China.
The only reason these things exist at all is to placate all the HKers and Taiwanese without a 身份证... when I applied at the BoC on Chaoyangmennei Dajie in September, after trying to find the forms for a few minutes, the staff remarked that I was the first non-Chinese to have signed up (this despite the cards being available since mid-July).
Nov 26, 2012, 11:20 am
#88
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 516
>>
The red ones are paper tickets while the blue ones have magnetic storage and can be used through compatible automatic gates.
>>
>>
Yes, this is correct. In useability terms though, there's no issue using either. For instance, if you had a red paper ticket instead of a blue one and were faced with an automatic gate (generally HSR boarding gates), there will always be a human attendant standing by who can manually check your red paper ticket and send you through the gate.
>>
Thanks for the info.
I noticed the 2 times (that I paid attention to), the Red ticket line moves a lot faster.
There's usually a HUGE line (or 3 lines) for the Blue tickets, but the red line was a lot shorter.
The red ones are paper tickets while the blue ones have magnetic storage and can be used through compatible automatic gates.
>>
>>
Yes, this is correct. In useability terms though, there's no issue using either. For instance, if you had a red paper ticket instead of a blue one and were faced with an automatic gate (generally HSR boarding gates), there will always be a human attendant standing by who can manually check your red paper ticket and send you through the gate.
>>
Thanks for the info.
I noticed the 2 times (that I paid attention to), the Red ticket line moves a lot faster.
There's usually a HUGE line (or 3 lines) for the Blue tickets, but the red line was a lot shorter.
Nov 26, 2012, 6:00 pm
#89
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,057
You can use the blue tickets in the red ticket line, but not vice versa (well you can, but at the risk of annoying the people behind you).
Nov 27, 2012, 12:33 am
#90
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