Tracking China

10/06/2017

(Oh and two new train lines opened today in Central + Eastern China... In case you wanted some news faster...) ;-)

And a message from David manning the sites and all...

Going to kick off in Xi'an, Central China, on 24 June 2017. More details real soon. My talk is going to be about the trains. No joke! ;-)

01/12/2016

What's scary is that there's no real signage of this in English at train stations.

But with Tracking China, we swear* you'll never use a ticket gate the wrong way.

* Be nice, please! We actually meant: "We promise…" or something like that.

29/11/2016

Delays on Beijing-Shanghai HSR fault due to power faults. This affects both northbound and southbound services. Repair works should be underway — keeping a close eye on this according to traveller records on Weibo.

Trains are starting to move again as we are aware – obviously only some, as the delays will have a knock-on effect. In the meantime if you do decide to travel by train between Beijing and Shanghai today, you could reroute via Wuhan or Changsha.

If you are onboard make sure you are well hydrated and put on the appropriate number of layers as it could get hot.

17/10/2016

What the #—€% is this!!??!?...

16/10/2016

This update + link are neither generic nor spammy, but a reminder that — after a massive amount of data recovery (3 mobiles! up to 5 TB of HD space!), Tracking China's back with continuous coverage since Autumn 2011.

http://en.trackingchina.com

27/09/2016

In case you're wondering about into Xi'an for October Break — here's a look at if you *can* make it to the city centre stepping off your insanely fast bullet train. Last train schedules from Xi'an North / Xi'anbei station...

26/09/2016

Fall in love with the seven new Express Entrances at Beijing South (Beijingnan) Railway Station, shaving dozens of minutes off an otherwise super-Long March to the upper level, just to get on a train. Available if your train leaves from Platforms 6 to 23 at this station.

The new Express Entrances are located on the same level as the exits / entrances to the Beijing Subway. With two lines providing direct access to the train station (4 and 14), it's never been easier to just hop between trains.

The underground and overground entrances will all remain open — so if you got here by taxi or car, you'll still be able to board from the Level 2 Departures Hall.

Tracking China provides readers with up-to-date news and information on the city metro and national railway networks of China, as well as travel and ticketing advice. This page is in English.

25/09/2016

A few pics of the new Beijing Subway Yanfang Line now being built. The 14.4 km (9 mi) long line will connect with the western extension of the Fangshan Line, also being built at present, and will connect central Fangshan (SW suburbs) with Yanfang, home of the Yanshan Petrochemical.

This is probably going to be a line serving the most remote part of Beijing: the terminus, at Yanshan Petrochemical, is approximately 50 km (31 mi) from central Beijing. The only other line that goes so far is the Changping Line, where its northwesternmost terminus, Changping Xishankou, is of approximately the same distance. The terminus on the Yanfang Line, Yanhua, is very likely going to be the westernmost terminus of the line.

More reports and updates on this soon.

17/09/2016

To all expatriates across Mainland China (especially those travelling by rail):

Please retweet or repost this so that we're all in the know.

Chinese national railways have recently reported to me a case of an expatriate from an EU country who engaged in anti-social behaviour at a train station in eastern China. This visitor attempted to use EU rules (or equivalents from elsewhere) not valid in China to illegally obtain discounted travel.

I have been informed by the railways, and have checked through all regulations, that the only cases of discounted travel on Chinese railways are:

• 50% off for children under 1.2 metres in height
• 50% off for handicapped veterans
• 25% off for students (especially on high speed rail)

and discounts may also apply to injured passengers holding valid credentials issued by a Chinese authority.

The claim that persons aged 70 or older in China enjoying discounted travel at 50% is a phantom rule, is invalid, and does not apply on the mainland of China.

Passengers are strongly advised to check station and ticketing regulations well in advance as they intend to travel, and to buy tickets or get help in a civil manner.

International passengers are also reminded that unruly, uncivil, anti-social or criminal behaviour is against the law, and can result in warnings, fines, detention or imprisonment, or expulsion from the country.

Please be sure to present yourself and your country in a positive way in China. Misconduct by visitors or expats from outside China is detrimental to the expatriate community. It may also be an offence or a crime.

Thank you.

David Feng
Tracking China

10/09/2016

Looks like welcome news for all travelling "internationals" on the rails in China...!

We're making travelling by train easier by introducing more bilingual guides, both online and in print, available at an increasing number of station. This is from Xuzhou.
Also a note that Xuzhoudong station with new HSR services will mean a busier station. I personally recommend arriving 30 minutes ahead of time.

08/05/2016

And in case you prefer the CBD connection at Beijing South... our quick guide to Subway Line 14...

06/05/2016

It's long but can help: A quick transfer guide at Beijing South. Just in case you're headed to our capital and want a quick Subway connection to Central Beijing.

06/05/2016

Extra trains around Eastern China in the forthcoming days

• This update is from People's Railway Daily. This is the official national railway newspaper for China.

These trains will largely run on the following routes:

• Shanghai Hongqiao to / from Cangnan
• Wenzhou South (Wenzhounan) to / from Hangzhou East (Hangzhoudong)
• Nanjing South (Nanjingnan) to / from Wenzhou South (Wenzhounan)
• Shanghai and Shanghai Hongqiao to / from Wuxi
• Shanghai to / from Danyang
• Shanghai to / from Changzhou
• Nanjing South (Nanjingnan) to / from Anqing
• Anqing to / from Shanghai Hongqiao
• Shanghai Hongqiao to / from Chizhou
• Chizhou to / from Nanjing South (Nanjingnan)
• Nanjing South (Nanjingnan) to / from Wuhu
• Shanghai Hongqiao to / from Ningbo
• Shanghai Hongqiao to / from Hefei
• Nanjing South (Nanjingnan) to /from Tongling
• Nanjing to / from Shanghai Hongqiao

These extra trains run generally from 06-13 May 2016 — you are warned that some trains may operate on ONE day only — so always check before you book and / or travel.

07/03/2016

Delay Announcement
Beijing Subway Line 10

Delays for Line 10 trains running in counterclockwise direction between Bagou and Shoujingmao via Chedaogou due to an equipment fault. You might need to wait a bit longer for your train.

Please check with your local station for more details and for when normal operations resume.

06/02/2016

Please note that due to the earthquake in Taiwan, there will be some delays on trains running on the HSR route from Hangzhou to Shenzhen. Affected is the part from Xiamen to Fuzhou. The railways are currently taking care of this issue.

31/01/2016

Ladies and gentlemen:

Freak weather conditions are causing blizzards in central and some parts of southeastern China. Your train is likely to be delayed (sorry about that), but you are still advised to travel to the station on time if in doubt. You are advised to stay hydrated and to bring snacks and, failing anything else, instant noodles whilst waiting for your train.

If you do decide to travel on an earlier train than booked, it is likely you might not get assigned seating or seating guaranteed.

We're all in this together. Hold on everyone... Let's hope this blizzard is over sooner than later!

27/01/2016

Official ticketing information from China Railways
Please refer to these summaries and choose the best date to travel.

FOR DEPARTURES FROM SHANGHAI STATIONS
(Details last updated 14:00 Beijing time on 26 January 2016)

- to Harbin: Only few tickets remaining for Trains G1204 and Z176 — travel before 02 Feb.

- to Shenyang: Only a few tickets remaining.

- to Beijing: Frequent services — plenty of tickets remaining. (Tracking China tip: Alternatively reroute via Tianjin and use the C train to Beijing, which almost always has tickets available.)

- to Taiyuan: Very few tickets remaining.

- to Hohhot: Fewer tickets available for 03-05 Feb. Even on other days, tickets are still somewhat limited in number.

- to Zhengzhou: Some tickets still available for Trains K4046, K4054, and K4168.

- to Wuhan: Some trains still available for Trains D4682 and G4966.

- to Xi'an: Only very few tickets remaining.

- to Ji'nan: More tickets available if you choose to travel on or before 02 Feb; otherwise only few tickets remaining.

- to Nanchang: Only a few tickets remaining.

- to Guangzhou: Avoid Train D941 on 03 and 05 Feb as tickets will be in short supply.

- to Nanning: Only a few tickets remaining for Train K1556.

- to Chengdu: Avoid Train 3256 on 03 Feb as tickets will be in short supply.

- to Kunming: Very few tickets remaining.

- to Lanzhou: Less tickets available if you travel in Feb.

- to Ürümqi: Only few tickets remaining for travel before 30 Jan.

- to Xining: Only very few tickets remaining.

IMPORTANT: TRACKING CHINA DOES NOT SELL TRAIN TICKETS. You are advised to go to the next railway station or, in some cities, the next authorised ticketing agent. If you have a Chinese bank account you may also book online. Please remember to take your passport or Chinese Green Card when booking and travelling.

27/01/2016

Official ticketing information from China Railways
Please refer to these summaries and choose the best date to travel.

FOR DEPARTURES FROM BEIJING STATIONS
(Details last updated 14:00 Beijing time on 26 January 2016)

- to Harbin: More tickets available for departures by 30 Jan; increasingly less in Feb 2016. Fewer tickets for HSR departures on 02, 03 and 05 Feb.

- to Shenyang: General tendency is more tickets in Jan and increasingly less beginning 01 Feb 2016. Very few tickets left on 02 Feb.

- to Taiyuan: Very few tickets left.

- to Hohhot: Most tickets available for 29 Jan, then less as we move into Feb. Try Trains K4255 or T3037 if you wish to travel as there will be more tickets left for these trains.

- to Xi'an: Sufficient number of tickets left but very few for departures on or after 03 Feb.

- to Ji'nan: Sufficient number of tickets left for departures before 03 Feb.

- to Shanghai: Thanks to regular services, there shouldn't be in issue getting tickets here.

- to Nanchang: Few tickets for 04 Feb and 05 Feb; otherwise, more tickets available, although they can sell out pretty quickly.

- to Guangzhou: Generally not a problem except Train G71 on 02 Feb (only few tickets left for that service)

- to Chengdu: No major issues and there will be more tickets available if you can travel in early Feb.

- to Kunming: Avoid travel on 03 Feb as there will be few tickets then; otherwise there should still be a number of tickets left.

- to Lanzhou: Very few tickets left.

- to Xining: Very few tickets left if travelling in Feb. Try to leave on or before 31 Jan 2016.

IMPORTANT: TRACKING CHINA DOES NOT SELL TRAIN TICKETS. You are advised to go to the next railway station or, in some cities, the next authorised ticketing agent. If you have a Chinese bank account you may also book online. Please remember to take your passport or Chinese Green Card when booking and travelling.

25/01/2016

Nice! (Even though the pic is actually a BEIJING Subway Line 14 train!)

FWIW... 4G is already reality in Beijing. Line 7, in particular.

Full 4G and WiFi coverage will be blessing all Shanghai Metro

25/01/2016

Chunyun statistics:
On 24 January 2016, 6.937 million passengers took the train, a rise of 20.2% over the past year. This was the first day of Chunyun, the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival Peak Travel Season. Internet and mobile app ticketing accounted for over 60.3% of sales.
For 25 January 2016, an estimated 7.28 million passengers are likely to travel by rail.
There are still tickets available for the following main routes:
- From Beijing: to Harbin, Shenyang, Taiyuan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Ürümqi
- From Shanghai: to Beijing, Ji'nan, Nanchang, Guangzhou, and Chengdu
- From Guangzhou: to Beijing, Nanchang, Nanning, Chengdu, and Kunming
Advance ticketing is now available for all timetabled trains departing on or before 24 March 2016, and for all extra trains departing on or before 04 March 2016.

Source: China Railways

25/01/2016

This is a travel advisory.
Please ensure you only get your tickets from legal, official sources from China Railways. Do not buy tickets from touts. They may be part of a criminal organisation.
The railway police also remind you to keep your personal ID document safe and not to trust any person unknown to you with this information, especially if you have a Chinese bank account and are able to use e-ticketing services.

22/01/2016

Ladies and gentlemen:

Freak weather conditions are causing severe blizzards across eastern, central, and some parts of southeastern China. To ensure everyone gets from A to B safely, the railways are being forced to slow trains down, resulting in heavy delays.

Sorry to be the harbinger of bad news. To ensure you're hit the least by these freak conditions, may we advise you to come to the station prepared with food and drinks whilst you wait for your train. If you do choose to travel on an earlier train than you're booked onto (where this is permitted by the station or the operator), you will have to understand you may not be allotted seating. If you will be travelling a distance, it is probably better for you to wait than to stand for many hours on a train.

Let's hope this blizzard is done with sooner than later! Hang in there everyone — do trust us, the railways are doing all they can to clean up and to resume normal operations A-S-A-P.

22/01/2016

Ladies and gentlemen, let's give this page a try... Repeat after me: Testing, 1... 2... 3... thank you...

21/12/2015

Ladies and gentlemen:

There will be no further updates on Street Level China sites until further notice. This includes established sites such as techblog86 and Tracking China, where you get your rail and metro news.

This is due to information security and licensing issues.

How long this will remain the case is not yet certain at present.

Apologies for any inconveniences this may cause you.

23/10/2015

BEIJING SUBWAY - LINE 10
Severe delays due to signal failure

There is a signal failure on the part of Beijing Subway Line 10 between Jiaomen West and Huoqiying.

The counterclockwise route has been temporarily suspended.

You may otherwise run into severe delays on Line 10.

Please reroute using Lines 4 or 5 as appropriate.

Please keep a close watch on Subway notices for further details and updates.

18/10/2015

NATIONAL RAILWAYS - GUANGZHOU-MAOMING RAILWAY
Bridge strike damage repaired; delays expected

Guangzhou Rail has reported that the Guangzhou-Maoming Railway has now resumed train services.

Due to speed limits near the bridge strike site, your train is likely to be delayed. Please check before you travel. Thank you.

18/10/2015

BEIJING SUBWAY - LINE 5
Recommended routes during station closures

Datunlu East and Puhuangyu stations are currently closed. This is as works to build interchange passageways are underway.

Here are recommended diversions in the Beijing Subway system:

AROUND DATUNLU EAST
- If your destination is around the North 4th Ring Road, you could try leaving earlier at Huixinxijie Beikou. Please note you will need either exits A or B, as they are closer to the ring road, in case you need to use footbridges to cross the ring road.
- Alternatively you could use a short stretch of Line 15 and leave at Anlilu or Guanzhuang stations (note: not the same Guanzhuang as that on the Batong line). Change to Line 15 from either Line 8 or Line 13.
- If your destination is closer to the North 5th Ring Road, you might want to try Beiyuanlu North station. Note that in this part of Line 5, stations are spaced apart by over a mile at times.

AROUND PUHUANGYU
- The closest Subway station stop would be Liujiayao. Try exits A or B.
- As a previous Line 5 station at Qiyuan was cancelled and was never built, only use Tiantandongmen further north if your intended destination is actually there.

16/10/2015

NATIONAL RAILWAYS - GUANGZHOU-MAOMING RAILWAY
Bridge strike diverting trains

If your journey involves using the Guangzhou-Maoming Railway, you may be subject to delays and diversions as there has been a case of bridge strike on this railway line.

Please ask a member of staff if you are in any doubt.

15/10/2015

NANJING METRO LINE 3 - STATION OPENING

Shangyuan Metro Station (地铁上元站) will open at 06:00 on 18 October 2015. The new station is close to Zhongyang North and Yanjiang Roads and Yongji Avenue.

Beginning that day, train service frequencies on Line 3 will also see improvements. There will now be a train as frequent as 3 minutes 35 seconds, allowing the line run up to 16 trains per hour.

Line 3 serves both Nanjing's main station and the Nanjing South (Nanjingnan) HSR hub.

13/10/2015

BEIJING SUBWAY LINES 1, 8 AND 14 - EARLY CLOSURES
Three Beijing Subway lines to close early over the weekend

Line 1 will end service at 20:00 on 17 October 2015, with all interchanges and Line 1 gatelines closing shortly after. This is due to testing the new 30 trains per hour service frequency. You are advised to reroute using Lines 6 or 7, which run parallel to Line 1. Normal service will resume on 18 October 2015.

Line 8 wil end service at 21:00 on 17 October 2015, also due to testing purposes. This time, signal testing will be undertaken. Please use nearby Lines 4 or 5, or for access to Changping, Line 13 and the Changping Line.

Line 14 will end service at shortly after 21:00 on both 17 and 18 October 2015. Northbound last trains leave from Jintailu at 21:30; southbound last trains from Shan'gezhuang will depart at 21:00. The "smaller" part of Line 14 by the Garden Expo Park will also be affected, with last trains running at 21:00. After this time, you may have to reroute via Lines 10, 13, and 15. This is due to Line 14 getting ready to extend services from Shan'gezhuang to the Beijing South Railway Station later this year.