2010-07-21

General Features:

Name: Beijing West Railway Station.

Address: East Lianhuachi Road, Fengtai District, Beijing. Beside the West 3rd Ring Road.

Number of platforms: 10.

Passenger services: Luggage check-in and parcel shipping.

Overview

The Beijing West Railway Station, or Beijing West for short, was completed in early 1996. It is one of three major railway stations in Beijing. There are also small train stations. Beijing has the most advanced and extensive railway lines in the country. It’s main gate is a huge building that looks like a big gate. It’s so big that it is kind of disorientating to walk around in it. It was the largest railway station in Asia until August 1, 2008 when the Beijing South Railway Station officially opened. The Beijing West Railway Station was still the busiest railway station in China in terms of passenger use per day in 2009. Trains from Beijing going to central, south, southwest and northwest China leave from this station. The cities served include: Hong Kong (Kowloon), Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Nanchang, Chengdu, Guiyang, Zunyi, Chongqing, Changsha, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Guilin, Nanning, Hohhot, Xining, Jinan, Urumqi, Kunming, Hangzhou and part of Shanghai.

Beijing West Railway Station has two plazas in front: of the North Square and the South Square. The South Square is near Lianhuachi Park and the North Square is one kilometer away from the China Millennium Monument. The entrance and major ticket offices are situated in the North Square. Passengers who get into the station from the South Square should walk through the underground passage leading to the North Square and then enter the West Station. There are two exits in Lower Level 2: North Exit 1 is in the east and North Exit 2 is in the west. The luggage claim office is located in the West-Wing Building of the North Square and the luggage check-in counter is in the East Wing. Also there are many bus stations in both squares. There are plans to connect the Beijing Railway Station with the Beijing West Railway Station.

Special Services:

"Red Hat Luggage Delivery” service is provided by the Beijing West Station Technology and Trade Company at the Entrance Hall on the second floor and North Exit 1. It can help passengersboard their luggage on the train. They charge passengers 5 RMB for one piece of luggage.

A Temporary Deposit Service for Small Pieces of Luggage is provided by the Beijing West Station Technology and Trade Company at both sides of the Entrance Hall on the second floor. They can help passengers keep their small, valuable items safe. The valuables are stored in electronic boxes, and the service charges per duration of use.

Travel Tips:

1) Ticket check-in usually begins half an hour before the departure time.

2) Ticket check-in stops 5 minutes before departure. Please be sure to be at the check-in gate 5 minutes before the departure time.