The fastest Beijing to Shanghai train takes 4 hours 18 minutes: G25 leaves Beijing South at 17:00 and reaches Shanghai Hongqiao at 21:18. Second class costs roughly ¥500 to ¥662, about $75 to $100, and first class tops out at ¥1,060.
We checked the timetable on China Railway’s 12306 system on 29 October 2026, for a sample weekday in November, and the fares against 12306 announcements and Chinese press reports. Times and prices change with each timetable, so check your date on 12306 before you book. Dollar figures use ¥6.66 to the dollar.
How long is the train from Beijing to Shanghai?
Between 4 hours 18 minutes and almost 8 hours for a G train, and about 12 to 15 hours on an overnight train. The difference comes from the number of stops. For the sample weekday, 12306 listed 44 G trains, and 19 of them took under five hours:
| Train | Depart | Arrive | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| G25 | Beijing South 17:00 | Shanghai Hongqiao 21:18 | 4h 18m |
| G35 | Beijing South 19:24 | Shanghai Hongqiao 23:51 | 4h 27m |
| G13 | Beijing South 16:00 | Shanghai Hongqiao 20:28 | 4h 28m |
| G19 | Beijing South 14:00 | Shanghai Hongqiao 18:32 | 4h 32m |
| G5 | Beijing South 07:59 | Shanghai 12:32 | 4h 33m |
| G9 | Beijing South 10:00 | Shanghai Hongqiao 14:35 | 4h 35m |
| G1 | Beijing South 06:30 | Shanghai Hongqiao 11:24 | 4h 54m |
The fast trains have low numbers, from G1 to G39, and leave roughly every hour from 06:30 to 19:24. Trains numbered in the 500s to 800s make more stops and take 5.5 hours to nearly 7. The slowest that day, G2573, took 7 hours 47 minutes. The 12306 search results let you sort by duration, which is worth doing.
The distance is about 1,318 km on the high-speed line, according to seat61 and China Highlights.
How much is a Beijing to Shanghai train ticket?
Fares on the Beijing–Shanghai line float with demand and time of day, within published maximums. 12306 set the current maximums for Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao in October 2020:
| Class | Seats per row | Published maximum | What you usually pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second class | 5 (3+2) | ¥662 | about ¥500–662 |
| First class | 4 (2+2) | ¥1,060 | about ¥1,000–1,060 |
| Business class | 3 or 2 | ¥2,318 | about ¥1,750–2,318 |
In May 2026 the line’s operator, Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway Co., raised its published fares by 20% from 26 May, but said actual selling prices would stay unchanged at first. On 27 May, Yicai reported second-class fares of ¥576 to ¥661, depending on the train. The Paper reported the cheapest non-sleeper second-class seat that day at just over ¥500. Slower trains and quieter departures are usually cheapest, and the fastest trains at popular times usually cost the most. Expect fares to creep up if the operator starts using the new ceiling.
Agencies add a service fee on top of the 12306 price.
G train, D train or overnight sleeper?
| Type | Typical time | Stations | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| G, high-speed | 4h 18m to 6.5h | Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao; a few use Beijing or Shanghai station | Daytime travel, most visitors |
| D, sleeper | about 12h | Beijing, Beijing South to Shanghai, Shanghai South or Shanghai Songjiang | Saving a hotel night |
| Z and T, conventional | 13.5h to 15h | Beijing Fengtai or Beijing to Shanghai Songjiang or Shanghai | Rail enthusiasts |
The D-series sleepers on the sample date were D5 (Beijing 21:21 to Shanghai 09:27), D7 (Beijing 19:18 to Shanghai 07:25), D9 (Beijing South 19:36 to Shanghai South 08:00) and D17 (Beijing 19:10 to Shanghai Songjiang 07:31). These are electric multiple-unit trains with sleeping berths, timed to arrive in the morning. China Highlights lists about ¥440 for a hard sleeper berth and ¥558 for a soft sleeper, and seat61 quotes slightly higher prices for lower berths. Z281 from Beijing Fengtai and T109 from Beijing are older conventional trains with soft and hard sleepers.
Which stations do Beijing to Shanghai trains use?
Almost all G trains run from Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao. Seat61 puts Beijing South about 6 km from central Beijing and Hongqiao about 18 km from central Shanghai; Hongqiao station is next to Shanghai Hongqiao airport, and both stations are on the metro.
A handful of fast trains, including G3, G5, G17, G29 and G33, end at Shanghai station, which is closer to the centre. Overnight trains also use Beijing station, Beijing Fengtai, Shanghai South and Shanghai Songjiang, which is far out in the southwest suburbs. Check both station names on your ticket.
How to book Beijing to Shanghai train tickets as a foreigner
- Use 12306. Download the Railway 12306 app or use 12306.cn/en, register with your passport details, and complete identity verification.
- Book when sales open. Tickets go on sale 15 days before departure. The fastest trains and holiday dates sell out first.
- Pay. Alipay is the most reliable method with a foreign card. Trip.com and other agencies also sell tickets in English for a fee.
- Travel. Your passport is your ticket. Official guidance says to arrive at least 30 minutes early; at Beijing South, allow 45 to 60 minutes for the passport and security checks.
Plans change, so know the refund rules before you pay. On 12306, refunds are free 8 or more days before departure; after that the fee is 5% of the fare, rising to 10% inside 48 hours and 20% inside 24 hours, with a ¥2 minimum. Each ticket can also be changed once, to another train, date or class, free of charge if you do it more than 48 hours before departure. Our high-speed trains guide walks through registration, seat choice and refunds step by step.
Is it faster to fly or take the train from Beijing to Shanghai?
In the air the flight is shorter: FlightConnections lists about 2 hours 25 minutes from Beijing Capital (PEK) to Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA), with about 38 flights a day, and about 2 hours 10 minutes from Beijing Daxing (PKX) to Pudong (PVG), with about 11 a day. Air China, China Eastern and Hainan Airlines fly the Capital–Hongqiao route, and six airlines fly Daxing–Pudong. Door to door, the gap closes. The table uses our planning allowances, not timetable figures:
| High-speed train | Flight | |
|---|---|---|
| City centre to station or airport | 30–45 min | 45–75 min |
| Arrive before departure | 45–60 min | 90 min |
| Journey | 4h 18m to 5h | 2h 10m to 2h 25m |
| Off the train or plane, bags | 10 min | 20–30 min |
| Station or airport to city centre | 30–45 min | 45–75 min |
| Door to door | about 6 to 7.5 hours | about 6 to 7.5 hours |
The train wins on comfort and reliability. You can work or eat at your seat, use your phone throughout, and you arrive within the city. Fly if you can get a good fare from an airport near you, or if you are connecting to an international flight at Pudong.
Where can you stop between Beijing and Shanghai?
The line passes several places worth a night:
- Jinan and Mount Tai. Jinan West is 1 hour 22 minutes from Beijing South on the fastest trains. Tai’an, for Mount Tai, is about 1.5 to 2 hours away, with about 22 trains a day on the sample date, fewer than Jinan.
- Nanjing. The fastest trains reach Nanjing South in 3 hours 14 minutes. Onward to Shanghai Hongqiao takes from about 1 hour, with trains all day.
- Suzhou. Some Beijing trains stop at Suzhou North, about 4 hours 8 minutes from Beijing South. From Suzhou North to Shanghai Hongqiao takes 22 minutes, and many more trains run from Suzhou’s main station.
Book each leg as a separate ticket on 12306.
Beijing or Shanghai: which is better?
They suit different trips, which is why most first-timers do both. Beijing is the imperial capital: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs and the Great Wall within a day trip. Shanghai is newer and more international, with the Bund, the former French Concession, and easy day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou. Give Beijing three or four days and Shanghai two or three, and link them by train. Our China itinerary shows how they fit into a week or two.
If you would like the tickets and transfers handled for you, a Hosted China host can plan the trip.
