Chengdu East Railway Station – Everything International Travelers Need to Know in 2025

Chengdu East Railway Station

Chengdu East Railway Station sits about 9 kilometers southeast of the city center, roughly 20 minutes by metro. It's one of those stations that looks big and busy from the outside, but the layout is fairly logical once you walk through it. The station handles high-speed trains to most major cities in China, plus local routes within Sichuan.

What helps for international travelers is the service center with multilingual staff and translation devices you can borrow. They also started accepting foreign credit cards at ticket counters, which wasn't the case a few years back.

Quick Facts about Chengdu East Railway Station

Southwest China's Largest Railway Hub - Scale, Services, and Modern Facilities

Station Facts & Figures (2025 Updated)

The Chengdu East Railway Station is a 14 platforms and 26 tracks railway station that occupies an area of 220,000 square meters. The daily train traffic is more than 1000 trains, most of which are high-speed G or D-series trains towards Chongqing, Xi'an, Kunming or other cities in the eastern region. The number of passengers to 2025 Spring Festival rush is projected to be 10.18 million which is approximately 254,000 passengers per day. That is about the whole population of Iceland going through 30 times.

The station is located 9 kilometers southeast of the downtown and can be accessed via Metro Line 2 in 15 minutes to Tianfu Square. It links Chengdu-Chongqing intercity line, Xi-an Chengdu high-speed railway and Chengdu-Guiyang route. Geographic positioning is important in this case; not too close to the city center that it was inconvenient and not so far that it could not expand.

Southwest China's First International Passenger Service Center

The first ticket hall is located on Level 2 inside the first ticket hall which has a counter allocated to international passengers. It has five employees, who are fluent in English, French and Italian. I had witnessed one serving a French couple to rebook missed connections within ten minutes time with an explanation of the policy of money back without the language obstacle that you usually meet at the regular windows.

The station hires out 25 translation equipment. You deposit 200 yen and use the handheld unit and give it back when it is finished. They perform well in less noisy places- not so effective when there are loud announcements in the air.

Payment has gotten easier. Visa and Mastercards are now operating at the counters of tickets. Alipay and WeChat Pay also accept cards that are not in Chinese however, you will first have to connect them in the applications. You can use digital yuan, though it takes more technologically curious, and the majority of travelers use cards or mobile payments. Cash is king everywhere, only get back coins.

Navigating Chengdu East Station: Floor-by-Floor Layout Guide

Departure Level (2F) - Where Your Journey Begins

Level 2: the primary waiting hall spans the East and West Squares - two different entrances that lead to the one central area. When you come in through the West Square, there is the International Passenger Service Center located in the First Ticket Hall on the left side which has bilingual signs. East Square entrance takes you nearer to the main departure gates.

Both sides of the hall are lined with food options. KFC and McDonalds anchor the western end, Starbucks is at the center and a few Chinese fast-food chains are offered noodles and rice bowls at ¥20-35. There are convenience stores with snacks, bottled water, SIM card (China Mobile and China Unicom prepaid plans cost around ¥50-80), and other common souvenirs such as panda keychains. There is one store at the Gate 7 that sells packaged Sichuan hotpot and Zhuyeqing tea- okay gifts when going home.

Platform Level (1F) - The Heart of the Station

There are 14 platforms that operate parallel to the waiting hall. Train numbers, destinations and platforms are written in Chinese and English on electronic boards. Colors and numbers (blue markings to Platforms 1-4, yellow to 5-9, green to 10-14) form the color system of ground markings. All you have to do is follow your matching color ticket.

Transfer corridors are lined with links between platforms that do not make you leave through security once more. Handy in case you are taking a connecting train in a few hours. Autotellermats are found in every corner of this floor but again with foreign passports, a few might check and others might crash at the ID check point.

Arrival Level (B1) - Seamless Connections

Platform exit stairs will take one down to B1, where metro exits of Line 2 and Line 7 are located to the south. The real metro platforms will be on B3 and B2 respectively. Pictogram arrows guide you to 地铁 (metro).

Outside the western exit, there is the formation of taxi queues. It is well organized in terms of queuing- the security personnel will guide individuals into queues and unofficial drivers are easily sent back. Wait time during peak hours should be 10-15 minutes. The departure of airport shuttle buses is located within the eastern side of B1, and clearly identified bays to various routes.

Parking garages have short term (¥10 per first hour, ¥5 per hour thereafter) and long term (¥50-80 per day). There are elevators that lead to the level of departure.

Essential Facilities for International Travelers

Free WiFi named "ChengduEast_Free" requires phone verification, but passport details work if you don't have a Chinese number. Connection speed is decent for checking train times or maps.

Luggage lockers on B1 near the arrival exits charge ¥20-40 daily depending on size. Small lockers fit backpacks, large ones handle full suitcases. Payment takes WeChat, Alipay, or cash—no cards.

Nursing rooms sit near the western waiting area on 2F. Medical stations operate on both 2F and B1 with basic first aid. Charging outlets are everywhere along the waiting hall walls, though bringing your own adapter helps since some are Chinese-only plugs.

A Sichuan specialty shop on 2F sells vacuum-packed hotpot base (Haidilao and Xiaolongkan brands, ¥15-40) and Zhuyeqing green tea (¥50-200). They're better quality than airport versions and make practical souvenirs if you've got luggage space.

Train Routes from Chengdu East Railway Station: 2025 Schedule & Tickets

To Chongqing

To Jiuzhaigou

To Leshan

To Kunming

Chengdu to Chongqing: The "Bus-Like" High-Speed Service

The regularity of the trains between the East Station Chengdu and the Chongqing location is between 30 and 60 minutes every 7 AM to 8 PM. It is as close to commuter rail as you can get in China, as you do not need to book a ticket, but walk in and get one. Prices of second-class seats range between 104-166, depending on the Chongqing station that one is heading towards (West, North, or Shapingba). First-class runs ¥263-266.

Among the representative trains, there are G8601 at 7:00 AM (arrives Chongqing North at 8:40 AM), G8633 at noon (reaches Shapingba at 1:05 PM), and G2879 at 6.00 PM (arrives Chongqing West at 7:35 PM). Once I rode on a Friday evening train during the rush hour and was able to get a ticket 20 minutes before the departure. In this route, tickets are hardly sold out unless it is during a major holiday.

Popular Scenic Routes (2025 Updated)

• To Jiuzhaigou (Huanglong)

The special train C9470/1 that operates directly between Chengdu East Railway Station and Huanglong Jiuzhaigou operates on the same date 8:12 AM to 10:01 AM. It runs between December 29 to January 5 but will pass by Songpan, should you wish to have a look first at that town. Second-class fares cost approximately 150-200, however, the price has not been announced yet, but that is the standard price of this distance. Early bookings are necessary when traveling between December 31 and January 3 because seats get booked quickly.

• To Leshan/Emeishan

Train C760 departs at 6:29 AM and arrives in Dazhou at 9:33 AM, but you will have to change at Leshan or Emeishan, it does not go directly. In the case of Mount Emei per se, the trains leave at an approximate of every two hours during the day and the journey lasts 1.5 hours with second-class tickets priced approximately at 65 Yuan. Day trips will be good provided you are out by 7 AM and board a view back train by 8 PM. Prepare snacks; there is not much food around Emeishan.

• To Kunming

The 7:00 AM train G2827 in Chengdu East reaches Kunming South in 6.5 hours at 1:30 PM. It is a smart train of the Fuxing-series that has functional power outlets at each seat and reasonable WiFi (although it drops when passing tunnels). Second-class cost ¥430, first-class ¥688, business ¥1,312. If you're planning to explore Kunming's evening food scene after arrival, check out the vibrant night markets scattered across the city for authentic Yunnan snacks and local atmosphere. Traffic on this road is heavy during the time period of New Year--book 7 to 10 days in advance when travelling between 29 December and 5 January.

New Year Holiday Special Trains (Dec 31, 2025 - Jan 6, 2026)

Five additional routes operate during the holiday week to handle increased travel demand:

Check the 12306 app under "临时加班车" (temporary trains) for real-time availability. Peak crowds hit December 31 through January 3—arrive at the station at least one hour before departure to clear security and find your platform.

Buying Train Tickets at Chengdu East Station: A Foreigner's Guide

Online Booking via 12306 (Recommended)

The 12306 app has English interface, but after installing it was necessary to tap the language option in the upper right corner. Registration of the passport will be done using your passport number, nationality and full name as written in your document. Most frequent issue: typing your name in capital letters when you are typing in a mixed case passport. Character by character, space included.

Most of the routes departing Chengdu East now have e- tickets. Your passport is your ticket scan it at the automated gates and straight to your platform. No paper collection needed. Install the application prior to reaching the station; it is not the best thing to attempt to install the app standing in a hall full of people and hearing announcements all around.

At the Station: Ticket Windows & Self-Service Machines

The International Passenger Service Center is located at the First Ticket Hall on Level 2 and is open 8 AM to 8 PM. Employees there respond to bookings, amendments and refunds in English. There are five regular ticket offices on the departure floor- long queues of 20-30 minutes at the morning (7-9 AM) and evening (5-7 PM) peak times.

Passports are said to be accepted by self-service machines, and there are often failures with ID verification. It has a call button to help you out--somebody on the staff may bypass the error and refer you to a human counter instead. One that you would not want to count on when your train is in the offing.

Free changes of tickets and refunds within 48 hours of the departure. There is a charge of between 5-20 percent within the 48 hours, depending on the time. The cancellations before two hours of takeoff cost the whole ticket.

Payment Methods That Actually Work for Foreigners

UnionPay, Visa and Mastercard are accepted in Ticket counters at Chengdu East Station. Alipay and WeChat Pay accept international cards - open the wallet section, choose Add Card, add your Visa or Mastercard to the wallet, verify via SMS. It takes process perhaps five minutes when you have your card in your hand.

Digital yuan needs to be configured with the help of certain banking applications, and in most cases, it is necessary to have a bank account in China or be a pilot program participant. This option is not taken at all by most foreign travelers.

Cash still functions but causes inconveniences, since ticket agents do not carry small notes, you end up with wallets full of 1 coin notes in your pockets. Mobile payments are based on existing exchange rates and the issue of change is eliminated. That is why I remain with Alipay.

Day Trip Destinations from Chengdu East Railway Station

Within 1 Hour: Dujiangyan & Mount Qingcheng

The Chengdu East Station to Dujiangyan trains operate 10 or more times in a day with a journey time of 30-40 minutes. The fare of second-class tickets is approximately 15-20. The irrigation system at Dujiangyan is a UNESCO world heritage dating back to 256 BC still operational which is the marvelous part. You can spend your morning there, then in the afternoon, you can use a bus or taxi to go to Mount Qingcheng. It is a holy mountain of Taoism and not as busy as most tourist destinations with temples embedded in wooded paths.

Last train back is usually around 8:00 PM, which means that you have many buffer time. This will be a day trip that is not in a hurry.

Within 2 Hours: Leshan Giant Buddha & Mount Emei

Giant Buddha of Leshan is 71 meters high hewn out of the side of the cliff--largest stone Buddha statue in the world. It is located close to the mountain Emei, which is one among four holy Buddhist mountains in China. Golden Summit sunrise is a topic of much discussion and it is rightly so when the weather is cooperative.

It is technically possible to do a day trip but not exhausting. You would spend most of it in trains and buses. One night stay close to Mount Emei is a more reasonable decision in case you are interested in enjoying either of these places. Make bookings in advance to weekends or holidays--trains in this line are busy.

Within 3 Hours: Jiuzhaigou Valley (Seasonal)

Train C9470/1 operates directly to Huanglong Jiuzhaigou (leaving at 8:12 AM and arriving at Chengdu East Station 10:01 AM) during the New Year period. During the periods beyond those times anticipate longer trips with transfers.

Jiuzhaigou has an altitude of about 2,000-3,000 meters. Carry warm garments even when the weather is mild in Chengdu, it gets very cold there. To enter the park, one has to book the three days beforehand, with the name registration, which is normally made via the official site of Jiuzhaigou or Trip.com. Never rely on purchasing tickets at the gate.

FAQ about Chengdu East Railway Station

Q: How do I get from Chengdu Airport to Chengdu East Railway Station?

From Tianfu International Airport, take the airport express train (18 minutes, ¥30) for the fastest option. From Shuangliu Airport, use Airport Bus Line 3 (50 minutes, ¥20) or Metro Line 2 + Line 10 (70 minutes). Both airports have clear English signage. If arriving late at night, taxis are available but expect to pay ¥60-80 from Shuangliu and ¥100-120 from Tianfu Airport. Metro operates until approximately 11 PM.

Q: Can foreigners take trains in China?

Yes! Foreigners can easily travel by train in China using their passport. Register on the 12306 app or website (English interface available), or purchase tickets at station windows with your passport. E-tickets are now standard on most routes – simply scan your passport at automated gates. Chengdu East Station has a dedicated service center for international passengers with multilingual staff. No visa verification is required when boarding trains, only valid tickets and identification.

Q: What is the Chinese name of Chengdu East Railway Station?

The Chinese name is 成都东站 (Chéngdū Dōng Zhàn). When taking a taxi or asking for directions, showing this name on your phone helps tremendously. The station code is "ICW" in the railway system. If using navigation apps like Baidu Maps or Gaode Maps (more reliable than Google Maps in China), search for "成都东站" or "Chengdu East Railway Station." Metro announcements use both Chinese and English names.

Q: How do I get from Chengdu East Railway Station to Chunxi Road?

Metro Line 2 is the fastest and most convenient option – just 15 minutes direct with no transfers, costing ¥2-4 depending on your exit station. Trains run every 3-5 minutes during peak hours. Exit at Chunxi Road Station (春熙路站). Alternatively, taxis cost approximately ¥25-30 and take 20-30 minutes depending on traffic. During evening rush hour (5-7 PM), the metro is significantly faster. International credit cards are accepted at metro ticket machines.

Q: Is there luggage storage at Chengdu East Railway Station?

Yes, luggage storage lockers are located on the B1 level near the arrival hall exits. Prices range from ¥20-40 per day depending on locker size. Small lockers fit backpacks, medium ones accommodate suitcases up to 24 inches, and large lockers handle multiple large bags. Payment accepts WeChat, Alipay, or cash. Operating hours are 24/7 with automated access. For oversized luggage or long-term storage (3+ days), inquire at the manual luggage service counter on 2F.

Q: What are Chengdu East Railway Station opening hours?

Chengdu East Railway Station operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, ticket windows typically open from 6:00 AM to midnight, with reduced service during late-night hours (midnight-6 AM). Self-service ticket machines are available 24/7. The International Passenger Service Center operates from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily. Waiting halls remain accessible throughout the night for passengers with early morning departures. Metro services connected to the station run approximately 6:30 AM to 11:00 PM.

Q: How early should I arrive at Chengdu East Railway Station before my train?

For regular travel periods, arriving 45 minutes to 1 hour before departure is sufficient. During peak seasons (Chinese New Year, National Day holidays, summer vacation), allow 1.5-2 hours. Security checks can have long queues, especially during morning rush hours (7-9 AM) and evening rush hours (5-7 PM). International passengers should add extra time if unfamiliar with the station layout. Boarding gates close 5 minutes before departure – late arrivals forfeit tickets without refunds.

Q: Can I use international credit cards at Chengdu East Railway Station?

Yes! Chengdu East Station accepts Visa and Mastercard at ticket windows and many restaurants/shops. However, some self-service machines only accept domestic cards. The International Passenger Service Center specifically handles foreign card payments. Mobile payment apps (Alipay, WeChat Pay) also support international cards now, making them the most convenient option. Digital RMB (e-CNY) is available for tech-savvy travelers. Carrying some cash (¥500-1000) is still recommended for small vendors and emergencies.