Using the railways
China's railway network is one of the most heavily used in the world, and its importance to the Republic's infrastructure cannot be overestimated. Not only are the railways the prime means of mass transportation but more importantly they are crucial to China's industry and to food distribution. Minerals such as coal and iron are transported from mines in the north and north-east, while grain and farm products can be distributed from the fertile southern and western provinces. The railways are central to China's defences, too, and much of the effort to expand the system as fast as possible has been driven by military expediency. This is particularly important in such a large country, where memories of internal rebellion and foreign invasion are still relatively fresh.
Although Chinese trains can at times be noisy, dirty and uncomfortable, rail travel in China has an element of excitement that is unlikely to be found on the networks of the West. The enormous distances covered, the complexity of the system and the importance attached to its smooth running all give China's railways a glamour which is reminiscent of turn-of-the-century rail travel in Europe or the United States. There is undeniably something romantic about the notion of a train which has travelled for two days from the mountains of South-West China to the ancient capital of Xi'an in the north; and there is the train which leaves Shanghai on the east coast bound for Ürümqi on the edge of Central Asia, or the international service which leaves Beijing, bound for Moscow, via Mongolia.
The image is intensified by the fact that China is one of the last countries in the world where steam trains are still in regular use. The huge engines that you are likely to see in any large station around China are seldom employed nowadays for passenger services but are depended upon for shunting freight. For those willing to go looking, there are some rare locomotives still in use. In the North-East particularly, the number and variety of steam engines used for forestry, mining operations, and for industrial work should keep even the most ardent enthusiast busy.
Most importantly, however, rail travel in China offers the visitor a number of unique opportunities. First and foremost there's the opportunity to meet a wide variety of Chinese people. You may be approached by someone who speaks English, or just be the centre of attention for everybody in the carriage who doesn't; either way you are likely to meet a bunch of friendly and hospitable people. Smile a lot and offer to share some of your food and you will make a host of new friends.
Secondly, travel by train offers a grandstand view of the Chinese countryside. Air travel may get you there quicker but did you come all this way to see the landscape from 30,000 feet? Finally, even the most unmechanically-minded traveller is likely to wonder at the engineering that went into building these railways - some of which run through incredibly difficult terrain. The history and politics that surrounded their construction are a study in themselves. China's railways provide an unusual and fascinating insight into the formation of the modern nation.
Buying a ticket
In most places buying a ticket is a simple process, as long as you've got plenty of time and a heap of patience. Tickets are generally not released for sale until three days before the day of departure, so don't try to book a place more than three days in advance (unless it's through CITS, who can take your order and arrange the reservation through their own channels). With the exception of large cities (Beijing, Shanghai etc) there is no centralised computer system, and most reservations are therefore managed by issuing slips of paper which detail the date, train number and seat/sleeper reservation.
One of these slips is glued onto the standard price ticket when it is sold. Because there are often several outlets for tickets in one city (eg CITS may get a quota, and various ticket offices around the city each get a quota), it is possible that although there may not be tickets available at the railway station, another ticket office in the city may still have some reservations. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for small stations along the way to issue reservations. For this reason try to plan your itinerary so that you set off on any particularly long journeys from a large city, as it will be much easier to get sleeper tickets. Small stations are likely to sell only hard seat tickets which will get you onto the train, after which you can ask to upgrade.
Common sense dictates that, in busy destinations, it pays to get to the ticket office early on the first day that tickets are offered for sale. Find out in advance the details of the train you want to catch before you start queuing, and use the ticket booking form (see p380). Finally check with other people in the ticket hall that you're standing in the right queue - not all windows sell tickets for all trains.
Upgrading a ticket
Should it prove impossible to get the ticket you want at the station, it is possible to buy a hard seat ticket and then upgrade it once you are aboard. Upgrading is done on the basis of vacancies - if people got off the train at the last station, or if not all sleeper tickets were sold originally, your chances are reasonable. The extra fee which you are charged to upgrade is worked out, quite fairly, on the distance you intend to travel on the upgraded ticket. Should your berth be reclaimed by someone who has a proper reservation for it, you should be reimbursed according to how much further you have to travel.The guard's compartment (which is probably little more than a desk and a secure area) is usually in the Hard Seat carriage nearest to the centre of the train. Get there as early as possible, as in a crowded train lots of other people will have had the same idea.
Catching the train
Once you've got the ticket, the rest is simple. Try to arrive at the station between half an hour and an hour in advance of departure time. At the main entrance to most stations there is an X-ray machine to check passengers' luggage for inflammable materials - if you're worried about your films you can get past it by just putting your rucksack through and keeping hold of your hand baggage. The procedure for waiting for and boarding the train is extremely regimented and it would be nearly impossible to go wrong. A waiting room, or part of it, is clearly marked as the area for your train (the train number and departure time are displayed). When it's time to board, inspectors check tickets. Once on the platform you must show your ticket again to carriage attendants.
On board the train
Once the train is moving, if you're in any class other than hard seat, the carriage attendant will collect your ticket from you and give you a token in return. This collection of tickets helps the staff to see at a glance how many vacancies are available to allow other passengers to upgrade. The ticket is returned to you just before you get off the train - keep it to hand as you need to show it again to get out of the station.
In most carriages there is a water boiler, as well as a toilet and a wash basin (which invariably becomes clogged with remnants of pot noodle within a couple of hours). In Hard Sleeper and Soft Sleeper carriages there are thermoses between the bunks and bedding is supplied. The restaurant car (which is typically open 07.00-09.00, 12.00-13.00, and 18.00-20.00), is normally situated near the centre of the train, and the food, though slightly overpriced, is quite reasonable. It is also usually brought around the train in trolleys. This is cheaper than eating in the restaurant (usually Y5-10), and the food is good, but can be pretty cold by the time it gets to you. At each station there are also vendors on the platform selling everything from pot noodles to beer and roast chicken.
Stops
Trains generally stop at stations for anything between one and thirty minutes but it is worth noting that however long your train may be supposed to stop at a particular station, it will wait only as long as the driver feels like waiting. Consequently I have not indicated how long stops last, as this is impossible to predict. Take your cue from the carriage attendant if you want to get off for a wander but never go far from the train itself. At smaller stations you may have to climb over the track in order to get to the platform; do not allow a different train to get between you and your carriage, or you won't be able to get back in.
Kilometre marker posts
The route guide sections of each chapter in this guide refer to the marker posts along the railway line. These can be on either side of the track, although usually they're all on one side along a particular stretch of line. Near a junction, however, the numbering sometimes changes abruptly. Another source of confusion is the approach to, or departure from cities, where numbering can reverse itself several times before finally settling into logical sequence. Finally, there are often long stretches where the numbering either disappears or is so close to the side of the track that it's almost impossible to see.
Using the route guide
In the route guide sections, where something of interest appears on one side of the train only it is designated by the letter (R) or (L) for right or left. Obviously, if you are heading in the opposite direction to this guide, all sights will be on the other side. Note that some of the distances quoted in the text are approximations, so it is wise to be ready for a particular sight a couple of kilometres before it is due. Watch out for two or three markers in succession every now and then so you know which way the numbers are counting, and roughly where you are.
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