China High Speed Rail Review: Shanghai to Hangzhou

After spending the day at work meetings and staying at Mecure Shanghai Yu Garden, I traveled to Hangzhou early morning the next day via High Speed Rail.

Instead of booking the train ticket well in advance, I decided to wait until the day before I traveled just to make sure I didn’t have to stay an extra day in Shanghai for work reasons. So after I finished my work obligations and checked into the hotel the day before, I went online to book my train ticket on Trip.com.

My original plan was to get to Hangzhou as early as possible with an early morning train so I could spend more time out in Hangzhou. However, as I booked my ticket just the evening before, the earliest available train to Hangzhou was at 8:42am, with most of the other trains throughout the day already fully booked.

If you have your travel plans confirmed early enough, I suggest you book your train tickets as soon as possible as train tickets seem to sell out fairly quickly close to departure date.

I settled with G1509 that departed at 8:42am and took me to Hangzhou in 50 minutes. The 2nd class ticket costs a total of HK$105.77 (~US$13.5) including handling fees. There were also choices of 1st class or business class tickets at HK$182.99 and HK$299.49 respectively including handling fees.

Once I picked the train I wanted to take, I had to provide my ID number and name online for verification at the train station.

I was also able to choose my seat preference during the checkout process.

Within a few minutes of checking out, I received the confirmation into my email. However, it doesn’t come with the e-ticket, meaning that I still need to pick up the physical ticket when I arrive at the station.

Since Shanghai Hongqiao Train Station is located quite far away from the city centre, I checked out from the hotel at around 7:30am to embark on my 45-minute subway ride to the train station.

Once I arrived at the train station, I had about 30 minutes to get my train ticket, pass security and board the train. I initially thought I could retrieve my train ticket from one of these machines. Once I was in front of the machine, I realized it only accepts Chinese ID cards and not other forms of IDs.

That means I had to scramble to find ticket counters where I could get my ticket. Unfortunately, the lines at the counters were moving fairly slowly.

It took me about 15 minutes until I was able to retrieve my train ticket. I then followed the signs and went up a flight of escalator to head to the departure hall.

Followed by another flight of escalator before I arrived at the departure hall for security check.

After security check, there is a massive waiting hall with rows of seats in the middle and shops on both sides.

One of the departure screens indicated that train G1509 would depart from platform 9. I arrived at the platform level with about 7 minutes to spare.

Initially I thought this train originated in Shanghai. Then I later realized that Shanghai Hongqiao is just a stop on the much-longer journey between Nanjing and Sanming.

How slick does this train look!

I didn’t see that many passengers boarding at this station, therefore boarding was smooth and efficient.

The 2nd class cabin is configured in a 2–3 layout with ample legroom between seats. I would say these seats are a lot more comfortable than anything you would see in economy class on an aircraft……

I had a bulkhead seat at the front of one of the carriages. However the tray table was misaligned since it was attached to the wall in front, so I am not sure how useful it would be……

On the seat armrest, there was a QR code which allowed you order food with so train attendants could bring your order directly to your seat if you wish.

Once the train departed Shanghai on-time at 8:42am, I decided to walk around to see what amenities this train had to offer.

There were luggage racks at the end of each carriages, in additional to the storage area above the seats.

Right next to it, there was a water dispenser that provided both cold and hot water.

Beside the dispenser, there was a beautifully-designed sink area, with the bathroom right behind it.

I didn’t have much time to explore until the train arrived at Hangzhou East Station on schedule at 9:32am, 50 mins after it departed from Shanghai.

All in all, I believe High Speed Rail is a great way to travel between nearby cities in China. However, note that if you are traveling from Shanghai Hongqiao Station, allow yourself ample time to travel to the station since it is not as close to the city center as you would think.

You might also want to give yourself extra buffer to look for ticket counters to retrieve your ticket, and then go through security checks at the departure hall. It could take quite a while if you travel on a peak day, like I did on a Friday morning. Allowing yourself extra time will definitely provide you a more stress-free experience traveling with Chinese High Speed Rail.