China Trains
Jul 06, 2025
We had three high-speed train rides (Beijing–Xi'an–Chongqing–Huaihua) on our recent trip to China in April this year.
As with many aspects of China, I had heard plenty of positive things about the country’s high-speed trains, with their impressive speed being a recurring highlight.
Our first train journey was from Beijing to Xi'an, covering a distance of about 1,150 km in 6 hours, with a top speed of 300 km/hr (that is Formula 1 level speed).
In contrast, the Canadian Via Rail train covers 500 km from Toronto to Montreal in 5 hours (100 km/hr).
The remarkable thing is I didn't feel it at all inside the train. It was smooth and stable. I could tell the speed from the digital displays and had some sense it was going fast from the pace at which trees, posts, and buildings were passing us. But I really felt it when we were stopped at a train station and another train zoomed past us at high speed. It was a blur. Our train shook a little. Wow!
The train stations are like airport terminals both in size and design. There is a baggage security check before you enter the station. Inside, you have open, high-ceilinged, curved roofs with no pillars, just like airports. Like most places we visited, tickets are digital. Similar to the final check at airport gates, there was a ticket and ID scan before we entered the platforms.
All three train trips departed and arrived on schedule.
The station, platform, aisle, seats, and toilets were clean and in good condition. In the train, staff were regularly coming by to collect garbage. They had both western-style and squat toilets. There was enough overhead storage for lighter bags. We kept our larger luggage bags (the ones we check in at airports) in the storage near the doors, in space in front of the first row or last row seats.
Unlike the trains in India or Canada, where you have to climb steps to get into the train car—making lifting luggage bags physically stressful—all high-speed trains we took in China were level to the platform (like subways), making entry and exit with luggage easy.
In all train cars, there was a hot water tap that dispenses boiling hot water. This was a welcome feature that let us make hot beverages to enjoy. Others used it to make cup-o-noodles.
The view of the towns and countryside from the train was enjoyable as well. What impressed me was that the roads, bridges, and buildings, whether in the city or outside, were all in good condition. I got to see small houses in villages and towns (some of them had large gates that reminded me of the tanneries in Kolkata, India). There were plenty of scenic views on the train journeys, but the ones that come to mind are the massive mountains I saw when we were close to Huaihua station (on our way to Fenghuang Ancient Town – Zhangjiajie National Park).
The scale and level of development in China is at another level compared to the two places I have lived (Kolkata, Toronto). I can't comprehend how they are able to build it and maintain it well. I hope to return to China again. The whole trip was short and hectic, but I enjoyed every bit of it.