889

Ditto Shanghai Station (and indeed, every Chinese station I've been to in recent years). As a foreigner you're not going to get into the station without your passport and a ticket that shows your passport number. I've never seen an automatic gate there that works with passports.

moondog

Admittedly, I haven't been on a train since September, but I've yet to see an automated gate at a train station entrance.

sinoflyer

The HSR experience is maddening even for native Chinese and fluent Chinese speakers.

A personal anecdote: The first time I used Shenzhen North, I arrived at around 10:30 am, planning to catch an 11:30 am or noon train to Xiamen. After waiting in the queue for about 15 minutes, I realized that the entire ticket hall was only for refunds and exchanges. So I went to the other side of the station, where the queues were moving at the pace of about 35 to 40 minutes. By now it was around 10:50 am. Then, after waiting in the new queue for 10 or so minutes, I saw the dreaded LUNCH BREAK times pop up on the LEDs above each ticket window. People who have experienced this should know what I am talking about. Basically, at that exact posted time, the clerk would simply pull down the shutter and walk away. In a super-busy station like Shenzhen North, the people waiting in line have no option but to stand in place for 30 minutes. Trying to move to another queue would likely result in doubling the misery, because those queues also went to lunch in a staggered fashion.

Long story short: I didn't leave Shenzhen until 2 pm.
Moral of the story #1 : Get your tickets beforehand.
Moral of the story #2 : Travel by air as the first choice.

889

". . . but I've yet to see an automated gate at a train station entrance."

That's useful to know I suppose, but they certainly exist at some stations, for Chinese ID card holders only. And they're starting to show up in airports, too, like Shenzhen.

(And as to Shenzhen North, if you're buying your ticket at the window you might have to wait another two hours for the first available departure, so great is demand at times. Moral is: yes, have your ticket in hand beforehand.)

moondog

Going to sz north without a ticket in hand is not smart (I also learned this lesson), but let's not forget how annoying szx is.

889

Annoying because of the endless walk to or from the gate, yes.

But the departure hall is a masterpiece, a breathtaking space that just dazzles, the way the ceiling plays with your eyes.

And transport isn't bad at all with the opening of the express metro line.

moondog

I apologise for expanding on the SZX tangent, but I feel it is semi-relevant to the current discussion.
1. getting from gate to taxi requires close to an hour
2. when departing, you obviously have time to eat after clearing security, but if you're not cool with crappy Chinese food, you will think to yourself "wny am I here?"

889

You must have missed the McD. It is there, midway down that long walk after security.

travelinmanS

Take a field trip to Hongqiao now...you'll love it :-) The machines are similar to the ones you use to enter the immigration and customs area at Hongqiao Terminal 1. I don't think they are installed at Shanghai Station yet, but I could be wrong. Rest assured, if they aren't already, they will be soon.

downinit

Chengdu is the only place I have ever been where it was easier and less hassle to fly than to take the train (~20 countries/5 continents/countless cities where I have done both). Between the endless security checks, multiple queues, walking around in circles, and absolutely no Pinyin/English on any of the departure boards, I would advise anyone to show up very early and plan on nothing going as planned. It is also worth mentioning that both of the main stations in Chengdu are out in the middle of nowhere (relative to the city center), which is usually not the case for train stations. I would imagine Beijing and Shanghai would have at least a little more English, but CTU is my only mainland experience. Definitely do not count on anyone being able to help you, and make sure you have offline Google translate available. Definitely buy the tickets in advance if possible, and do plenty of research on how/where to pickup the tickets at the station.

889

Just by way of background, buying train tickets in China has always been an extraordinary hassle.

Think back to the time before computerisation. When foreigners had to buy special tickets. From special windows often in hidden areas of a station. At double the Chinese price. And paid for in Foreign Exchange Certificates. (Not to mention having to walk two miles to the station in the snow, barefoot.)

So today, to be able to quickly book and pay for my train ticket from anywhere on my phone seems miraculous by comparison.

Even if I can't yet pick-up my ticket at a machine.

JPDM

How many decades ago was this? I was there last year. Same as most other trains stations in China. modern and well signed. Two subway stops away from the city center and not much security.

BuildingMyBento

HSR-focused stations are often in the middle of nowhere, so as to promote growth in that area.

I have many bad memories hauling luggage from CAN and SZX to Guangzhou South and Shenzhen North...

moondog

Another reason they tend to be in the sticks is because the tracks take up quite a bit of space, which makes going through heavily built up areas both legally and logistically challenging.

Loren Pechtel

High speed rail needs high speed tracks which means new right-of-way. Putting that in a city center is expensive!