China High Speed Rail Shanghai-Xiamen-Shenzhen in First Class
 

On our recent nice trip from Shanghai to Xiamen I have chosen to take the high-speed train, because the scene is nice and you do not get to experience the excruciating delays due the famous air traffic congestion in Mainland China.

In 2015 the Hefei–Fuzhou High-Speed Railway was opened. This cut down the travel time between Shanghai and Xiamen by about 60-90 minutes,
because fast trains did not have to travel via the slower coastal railway line Ningbo-Wenzhou-Fuzhou, anymore.

Here is a schematic map of my journey (blue-line).

https://picload.org/image/rdliacor/c...speed-rail.jpg



The ticket was bought online at ctrip. The physical ticket was picked up at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station with the booking number, provided by ctrip.

The Chinese high speed product is solid. More importantly the train was rather empty, which made the trip much more enjoyable.

Here are some stats:

Departure From: Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station
Arrival To: Xiamen North, Fujian Province
Train No: G1653
Travel Class: First Class
Ticket price: 715 RMB
Distance: 1,085 km
Duration: 6 hours 25 minutes
Top speed: 312 km/h
Route: Hangzhou East, Jinhua, Shangrao, Nanping North, Fuzhou, Putian, Quanzhou
Operator: China Railway High-Speed, Shanghai Railway Bureau
Trainset: CRH380B-3645 (8-car set)
Family: Siemens Velaro
Manufacturer: CNR Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co. Ltd.


Here is the detailed video of the trip:


In case Flash is deactivated, here is the direct link to Youtube:


Shanghai Jing'an District at night:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpll/5...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirplr/5...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpli/5...igh-speed-.jpg



Approaching Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station by taxi:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpla/5...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirplw/5...igh-speed-.jpg



Lower arrival section:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpow/5...igh-speed-.jpg



Upper departure section:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpcr/5...igh-speed-.jpg



Departure board, with our train G1653 to Xiamen listed:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpca/5...igh-speed-.jpg



Departure gate - the first checkpoint, where tickets are checked:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpcl/5...igh-speed-.jpg



Our CRH380B high speed train; Shanghai Railway Bureau should better wash their trains:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpci/6...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpir/6...igh-speed-.jpg



Business Class (not booked by me):

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpcw/6...igh-speed-.jpg



First Class section in Car no. 1 (booked by me):

https://picload.org/image/rdliropp/3...igh-speed-.jpg



Leaving Shanghai on the Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpil/6...igh-speed-.jpg



First class sections stays rather empty on this ride:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirppr/6...igh-speed-.jpg



The famous Bridge to Nowhere (its already there since 2012):

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpii/6...igh-speed-.jpg



Usually we staying in a band between 300 and 312 km/h:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpiw/6...igh-speed-.jpg



Approaching Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpol/6...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirppa/6...igh-speed-.jpg



Merging with the Nanjing–Hangzhou Passenger Railway:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirppi/6...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgog/7...igh-speed-.jpg



Another two coupled CRH380B trainsets:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgod/7...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgoo/7...igh-speed-.jpg



Approaching the massive Hangzhou East Railway Station:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgoc/7...igh-speed-.jpg



At Hangzhou East Railway Station:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgop/7...igh-speed-.jpg



A CRH380A trainset:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidglg/7...igh-speed-.jpg



Leaving Hangzhou East:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgld/7...igh-speed-.jpg



Crossing the Qiantang River:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidglo/7...igh-speed-.jpg



Business districts in South Hangzhou:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidglc/7...igh-speed-.jpg



Hangzhou–Ningbo High-Speed Railway is forking off to the east:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidglp/7...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgcg/8...igh-speed-.jpg



Mountains in central Zhejiang Province:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgcd/8...igh-speed-.jpg



Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway between Hangzhou and Jinhua:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgco/8...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgcc/8...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgcp/8...igh-speed-.jpg



Jinhua Railway Station, which serves both high speed and classical long distance trains:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaai/8...igh-speed-.jpg



Longyou Railway Station in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaoi/9...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaow/9...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidarw/9...igh-speed-.jpg



Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway between Jinhua and Shangrao:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidgap/8...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaaw/8...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaor/8...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaol/9...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidadr/9...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidada/9...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidadl/9...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaal/1...high-speed.jpg



Jiangshan Railway Station, Southwestern Zhejiang Province:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidadi/9...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidadw/9...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaar/9...igh-speed-.jpg



Hot food trolley comes through the first class car once each hour:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaaa/1...high-speed.jpg



Shangrao Junction in Jiangxi Province, where the Hefei–Fuzhou meets the Shanghai–Kunming High-Speed Railway:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirocg/0...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirocd/0...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdliroco/0...igh-speed-.jpg



Shangrao Railway Station (upper part; the trains on the Shanghai–Kunming High-Speed Railway stop on the lower part):

https://picload.org/image/rdlirocc/0...igh-speed-.jpg



Xinjiang River:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirocp/0...igh-speed-.jpg



Huanggang Mountains Northern Fujian Province:

https://picload.org/image/rdliroig/0...igh-speed-.jpg



Driving South towards the Ocean on the Hefei–Fuzhou High-Speed Railway:

https://picload.org/image/rdliroio/0...igh-speed-.jpg



Wuyishan East Railway Station on the Hefei–Fuzhou High-Speed Railway:

https://picload.org/image/rdliroid/0...igh-speed-.jpg



Still the train is very empty:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidaoa/8...igh-speed-.jpg



The weather is deteriorating - Minjiang River near Nanping:

https://picload.org/image/rdliroic/0...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdliroip/1...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdliropg/1...igh-speed-.jpg



Nanping North Railway Station on the Hefei–Fuzhou High-Speed Railway:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidilp/2...high-speed.jpg



Fuzhou Railway Station (Fuzhou is right at the Taiwan Strait and is the closest Mainland city to Taipei):

https://picload.org/image/rdliropd/1...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdliropo/1...igh-speed-.jpg


Joining the Hangzhou–Fuzhou–Shenzhen High-Speed Railway on the Fuzhou–Xiamen Railway section (maximum speed is only 200km/h):

https://picload.org/image/rdlidicg/2...high-speed.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidilc/2...high-speed.jpg



Putian Railway Station on the Fuzhou–Xiamen Railway, Fujian Province:

https://picload.org/image/rdlidilo/2...high-speed.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlidicd/2...high-speed.jpg



Quanzhou Railway Station on the Fuzhou–Xiamen Railway, Fujian Province:

https://picload.org/image/rdliropc/3...igh-speed-.jpg



Xiamen North Railway Station in Southern Fujian Province:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirolo/3...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirolg/3...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirold/3...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirolc/3...igh-speed-.jpg



Departure area of Xiamen North:

https://picload.org/image/rdlirolp/3...igh-speed-.jpg

https://picload.org/image/rdlirpoi/3...igh-speed-.jpg



Here again is the video trip report:






All my trip reports on FT:

Airbus:

Iberia Airbus A340-600 London - Madrid in Y

Air Caraibes Airbus A350-900 Guadeloupe - Paris in Y

Empty Finnair Airbus A350-900 Helsinki - London Heathrow in Y+ and AY Lounge Sauna

Finnair Airbus A350-900 Helsinki - Shanghai in Y+

Finnair Airbus A350-900 Hong Kong - Helsinki in Y+

Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800 Singapore - New Delhi in Upper Deck Y

British Airways Airbus A380-800 Singapore - London Heathrow in Y



Boeing:

Asiana Boeing 747-400 Combi Tokyo - Seoul in F

Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER Montreal - Cancun in Y+

Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER Cancun - Toronto in Y

United Boeing 777-200ER Houston - Newark - Amsterdam in C

United Boeing 777-200ER Amsterdam - Houston in Y+

United Boeing 777-200ER Singapore - Hongkong in C

British Airways Boeing 777-300ER London - Shanghai in Y

ANA Boeing 777-300ER Singapore - Tokyo in C

Swiss Boeing 777-300ER Zurich - Hong Kong in Y

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER Hong Kong - Singapore in Y

TUI Airlines Nederland Boeing 787-8 Sint Maarten - Curacao in P

TUI Airlines Nederland Boeing 787-8 Curacao - Amsterdam in P

Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Toronto - London in Y

ANA Boeing 787-8 Shanghai Pudong - Tokyo Narita in C

United Boeing 787-9 Los Angeles - Houston in C



Trains:

CFR Calatori Bucharest - Istanbul Halkali in Sleeper Car

EuroNight Jan Kiepura Cologne - Warsaw in Sleeper Cabin

China High Speed Rail Shanghai - Xiamen in F

Caledonian Sleeper Train Inverness - London Euston in Sleeper Cabin

French TGV High Speed Train: Barcelona - Paris in F

China High Speed Rail Guangzhou - Shanghai Hongqiao in Y

Swiss Railways Lötschberg Mountain Line Bern - Brig in F

Ukraine Railways Kiev - Budapest in Sleeper Cabin

Virgin Trains West Coast London - Glasgow in F



Lounges:

Five Star Alliance Lounges: LHR

Four OneWorld Lounges: HKG

TBIT Star Alliance Lounge: LAX



Enjoy!

Loved this, great report, another thing to add to my bucket list...

Great business class seats on the train. Thanks for posting so many great pics.

Was food complimentary?

Business seat looks better than first.

Thanks for this TR! I'm considering a similar route in the spring, and was unsure of ctrip's reliability.

I'm assuming food wasn't included in the price of your first class seat? Worth it to upgrade to business class? They're fully flat, right?

Yeah my surprise is business looks a lot nicer, which is counter to airlines where first > business.

6.5 hours for 1000 km? The speed and travel time don't add up - were there lots of stops in between?

For those new to China High Speed Rail, Business Class ---> First class ---> Second Class.

Business class is fully flat. I've only taken First and Second Class since the price difference between First and Business is quite a huge difference.

That was my impression also :confused:. Perhaps OP can enlighten us. Good report tho. ^

And what is the logic behind that? By definition how can any class be better than first class?!

I'm guessing it's more of the english translation. It's not really meant to be first class or second class, more of 1st grade or 2nd grade.

Business Class - Shang wu wei
First Class - Yi Deng wei
Second Class - Er Deng wei

Yes, a meal was included when I took the High Speed Rail from Beijing to Shanghai last year.

Would you please tell what the prices are for each class of service?

Nice TR! Took the high speed train from Chongqing to Chengdu last year in the regular seats.

It was not pleasant - felt like a faster NJ Transit train (no AC or really air period).

Looks like a cool trip:). How do they compare to the Japanese Shinkansen?