The first twenty minutes after a Chinese train arrives decide how the rest of the evening feels. Three stations, three different answers.
Chinese high-speed stations are built like airports and the metro is usually directly underneath — but "underneath" still means a specific exit, a specific level and, at some stations, a second bag scan. Arriving knowing which line, which exit and which direction to walk removes the one genuinely disorienting moment of a China trip.
All three stations below are metro-connected. None of them requires a taxi unless you arrive late or heavy. Our ticket guide covers booking; this page covers the last hundred metres.
The short answer
| Station | Metro | Where it goes | Second bag scan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing West 北京西 | 7 & 9, under the concourse | Line 9 south-west to the centre; Line 7 east to the universal studios corridor | Yes |
| Shanghai Hongqiao 虹桥火车站 | 2, 10, 17 | Line 2 straight to the Bund side; Line 10 into the French Concession | Yes |
| Chengdu East 成都东 | 2 & 7 | Line 2 west to Chunxi Road and Tianfu Square | No — direct walk-in |
Line numbers are current at the time of checking; Chinese networks add lines and extensions often, so glance at the map in the app on arrival.
The lines run under the station itself on a shared double-island platform, which is why the walk is short — but the exits are not symmetric. Beijing West has a North Square and a South Square, and they lead to different streets.
Practical habit: check whether your train arrives on the north or south side before you walk, and follow the metro pictogram rather than a remembered exit number.
Hongqiao is the biggest and the easiest to mis-navigate. The metro concourse sits on the level below the arrival hall and connects directly into it; the platform level below is one of Shanghai’s largest, with three island platforms.
And the classic trap: Hongqiao Railway Station is not Hongqiao Airport. They share a transport hub and are linked by metro and walkway, but Terminal 2 is a separate stop and Terminal 1 further out. A flight-to-train connection here needs 40 to 60 minutes, not ten.
Chengdu East is a five-level stack — waiting hall on top, rail platforms at ground level, metro concourse below that, then Line 2 and Line 7 on successive levels. Since late 2017 arriving rail passengers can walk into the metro without a second security check, which makes it the smoothest of the three.
Where to sleep once you are in: the Chengdu hotel guide explains which exits and stations suit which neighbourhood, and the airport transfer guide covers the other Chengdu arrival.
| Situation | Metro | Pre-booked car | Taxi rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime, 1–2 bags | Best: RMB 3–6, predictable | Unnecessary | Slower and dearer in traffic |
| After ~23:00 | Risky: service thins out | The right answer | Long queue, price by negotiation at the margins |
| Three or more large cases | Awkward at escalators | Fixed price, no lifting | Boot size becomes the argument |
| Family with young children | Possible but slow | Name board, no queue | Fine if the rank is short |
Where you are actually going matters too: the four-city guide pairs each city with a neighbourhood, and the Xi’an guide covers the same arrival logic for Xi’an North.
Yes in all three cities. Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu metro gates read the Alipay or WeChat transit QR code, and station ticket machines take Alipay/WeChat rather than foreign bank cards. Set up the app before you fly and keep your home SIM in the phone for the SMS code. A physical single-ride ticket is still sold at machines and counters if a QR code fails.
The metro station sits under the railway concourse, so the walk from the platform is a few minutes. Lines 7 and 9 serve it directly; from there it is roughly 20 to 30 minutes to the Tiananmen/Dongcheng area with one change. Taxis from the official rank outside take longer in traffic and cost many times the RMB 3 to 6 fare.
They are neighbours, not the same building. The railway station and Terminal 2 of the airport share the Hongqiao transport hub and are connected by metro Line 2, Line 10 and a walkway; Terminal 1 is a separate stop. If you are connecting from a flight, allow 40 to 60 minutes rather than treating it as a platform change.
At Chengdu East, no: since late 2017 arriving rail passengers can walk into the metro without a second security check. Beijing and Shanghai generally do require the standard bag scan at metro entrances, so keep luggage accessible and allow a few extra minutes at peak hours.
Three cases: you land or arrive after about 23:00 when services thin out, you have more than two large cases, or you are travelling with children or older relatives. A pre-booked car is a fixed price and a name board in the arrivals hall; the metro is a few yuan and a walk. Everything in between is a taxi.
No operator paid for inclusion. Some booking links earn a commission at no extra cost to the reader. Details change — confirm with the official source before you travel.
The metro is a few yuan and a signposted walk. A fixed-price car earns its keep on late arrivals and heavy bags — book it before you fly, not at the rank.
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