Xining is the capital city of Qinghai Province, which has strong regional characteristics and a unique landscape.

Xining Railway Station

Xining Railway Station

Xining Railway Station is an important train station for passengers traveling in northwest China, and it connects two major rail lines: Lanzhou–Qinghai Line and Qinghai–Tibet Line.

Currently, there are over five normal-speed trains running from Xining Railway Station to Lhasa Railway Station.

  • Name in Chinese: 西宁站, Xīníng Zhàn
  • Address: Huzhu Middle Street, Pingcheng District
  • Address in Chinese: 西宁市城东区互助中路
  • Station Size: nine platforms, 21 lines
  • Nearby transportation: buses, taxis

Popular Trains from/to Xining Railway Station

  • Xining – Lhasa Railway Station: There are six normal-speed trains running from Xining Railway Station to Lhasa Railway Station, operating from 12:27pm to 9:27pm.
  • The soft sleeper berth on a Tibet train

    The soft sleeper berth on a Tibet train

  • Beijing West Railway Station – Xining Railway Station: There are three normal-speed trains a day running from Beijing West Railway Station to Xining Railway Station. The journey takes about 22 hours and costs 353 yuan per hard sleeper.
  • Xi’an North Railway Station – Xining Railway Station: Over 10 high-speed trains run daily between Xi’an North Railway Station and Xining Railway Station. It takes 4½ hours and costs 232.5 yuan per second-class seat.
  • Shanghai Railway Station – Xining Railway Station: Four normal-speed trains run each day to Xining Railway Station from Shanghai Railway Station. The duration is about 24/30 hours and it costs about 434.5 yuan per hard sleeper.
  • Xining – Dunhuang Railway Station (敦煌站): There are no direct trains from Xining to Dunhuang but you can transfer at Lanzhou Railway Station (兰州站).
    Dunhuang Crescent Spring

    Dunhuang Crescent Spring

    First, take a normal-speed train from Xining Railway Station to Lanzhou Railway Station. That takes about 2 hours and costs 58 yuan per second-class seat.
    Then take a normal-speed train from Lanzhou Railway Station to Dunhuang Railway Station. The duration is about 13 hours and it costs about 244.5 yuan per hard sleeper.

Look up all the train schedules on our China Train Booking app.

The Layout of Xining Railway Station

xining-railway

Xining Railway Station is a reconstructed railway station with completed facilities and convenient services. It contains a three-floor main building and two station squares.

  • F2 (main floor): ticket windows, waiting area, commercial area (restaurants, toilets, specialty stores)
  • F2 in Xining Railway Station

    F2 in Xining Railway Station

  • F1: ticket windows, service desk, toilets
  • B1: taxi stands
  • South Square: bus stop

Collecting Tickets and Boarding Trains at Xining Railway Station

There are two ticket offices at Xining Railway Station. The first one is on F1 and the second one is at the west side of F2. Here is the step-by-step guide to collecting your ticket(s) and boarding your train:

  1. Find one of the tickets offices on F1 or F2 and collect the ticket(s) you booked online.
  2. Go through the security check on F2 with your passport(s) and ticket(s).
  3. Go to the correct waiting area and wait to board (How to Board Trains Quickly?).

Transport Around Xining Railway Station

Bus

Available buses: 1, 7, 9, 11, 16, 20, 27, 28, 31, 36, 40, 47, 103, 104, 501, 909

Bus stations are located at the east side of South Square. Passengers can simply follow the signs to find them. Here are some popular bus routes:

  • Bus 1: Xining Railway Station – People's Park (人民公园)
  • Bus 11: Xining Railway Station – Qinghai University (青海大学)
  • Bus 20: Xining Railway Station – Ximen (西门)
  • Bus 47: Xining Railway Station – Wanda Plaza (万达广场)

Taxi

The starting price is 8 yuan in Xining. To leave from Xining Railway Station, please follow the signs to reach the taxi stands on B1. To arrive at Xining Railway Station, you will be dropped off at South Square.

Airport Express

  • Location: near the station exit gate
  • Price: 21 yuan
Here are some useful sentences, which may help you:
  • “您好, 请问我在哪里可以买去曹家堡机场的车票?”
    “Hello. Where can I buy an airport bus ticket to Xining Caojiabao International Airport?”
  • “您好,我要买去曹家堡机场的大巴票。”
    “Hello. I’d like to buy an airport bus ticket to Xining Caojiabao International Airport.”

Getting to Other Places from Xining Railway Station

To Xining Coach Station, 3 Kilometers

Some beautiful but remote places don't have a railway station, such as Golmud (格尔木), Chaka (茶卡), Wulan (乌兰), and Dulan (都兰). Therefore, it’s recommended for travelers to use the coach station to get there.

>>> By bus:

  1. Take bus 9/28/36 at Xining Railway Station’s bus station and get off at Qinghai-Tibet Railway’s bus station (青藏铁路公司).
  2. Walk along Jianguo Road (建国大街) for about 500 meters.
  3. Turn left at the traffic lights into Qinfen Lane (勤奋巷) and keep going for about 200 meters. This journey takes about 40 minutes and costs 1 yuan.
  4. This journey takes about 40 minutes and costs 1 yuan.

>>> By Taxi: The duration takes 11 minutes and costs about 8 yuan.

To Xining Caojiabao International Airport, 30 Kilometers

Xining Caojiabao International Airport

Xining Caojiabao International Airport

Xining Caojiabao International Airport (曹家堡机场) is in Huzhu County (互助县) and you can get there by airport express or taxi.

>>> By airport express (subway East Line): The duration is about 1 hour and costs 21 per person.

>>> By taxi: The journey takes about 30 minutes and costs about 40 yuan.

To Ta’er Temple, 38 Kilometers

Ta’er Temple is one of the typical Tibetan temples in China. Travelers can reach it by bus or taxi.

Ta’er Temple

Ta’er Temple

>>> By bus:
Take bus 909 at Xining Railway Station’s bus station and get off at Ta’er Temple’s (塔尔寺) bus station.
This journey takes about 2½ hours and costs 4 yuan.

>>> By Taxi: The duration takes 50 minutes and costs about 90 yuan.

To Qinghai Lake, 155 Kilometers

Qinghai Lake is the largest inland and saltwater lake in China, and it’s located in the northwest of Xining. It’s a long way from Xining Railway Station so taking a coach is recommended.

The sunset at Qinghai Lake

The sunset at Qinghai Lake

>>> By coach:

  1. Take bus 106 to Bayi Coach Station (八一汽车客运站).
  2. Buy a bus ticket to Qinghai Lake.
  3. After getting on the bus, please tell the driver which stop you need to get off at.
  4. (* Qinghai Lake includes many sections so you should decide beforehand which stop you prefer.)

The duration is 2 hours and the ticket fare is about 40 yuan.

Booking Train Tickets to Xining

Want to explore the beauty and mystery of Xining? Why not buy the train ticket(s) to get there via our China Train Booking app? Get your ticket(s) within 3 minutes and benefit from a convenient service with after-sales support.

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