Chongqing train stations: tickets, station choice and boarding

Chongqing’s railway stations sit in different parts of the city. Choose the station pair first, then book a train that leaves enough time for your hotel journey and security.

Choose the station before the train

In 12306’s English station box, type Chongqing, then choose the correct Chinese name in the suggestions: 重庆北 for North, 重庆东 for East or 重庆西 for West.

Start with your destination and travel date. Compare the exact departure station, arrival station and train time. Add the journey from your hotel to the station before choosing the fastest departure.

Chongqing North's two squares connect to the railway waiting hall. You can enter from either side. The metro stations called North Square and South Square are separate stops, so choose the one that suits your route.

For Chongqing East, take central Line 6 to Liujiaping. Change there on the same platform for the East station service. The main Line 6 train towards Chayuan (茶园) does not take you to the railway station. For routes from your hotel area, see the Chongqing East railway station guide.

The old Chongqing Station at Caiyuanba (重庆站／菜园坝) is closed to passenger service during rebuilding. A city search for “Chongqing” does not make its railway stations interchangeable.

Match the arrival station too

For Chengdu, start with Chengdu East (成都东站) and compare departures from Shapingba, North and West. Some fast Shapingba services take about an hour. A slower train from a station nearer your hotel can still save time overall. The Chengdu and Chongqing guide helps plan your stay in each city.

For Wulong, start with Chongqing East to Wulong South (武隆南站). Wulong South and the older Wulong Station (武隆站) are different places. Some Wulong South services also use Chongqing North. Compare the actual train rather than applying one journey time to both routes. Add onward transport to the park using our Wulong day-trip guide.

For other short trips, use the destination's full station name. G, D and C services are generally the faster trains; compare the displayed duration and stops. A station bearing a district's name can be well outside the attraction you want to visit.

Buy a ticket, then check that it is issued

China Railway 12306 is the official booking service. Its English website lets foreign-passport holders register with email; a Chinese mobile number is not required on that form. Complete email activation and passenger identity verification before buying. Passport-photo review and verification at a station ticket counter are available routes.

The English service supports domestic and overseas bank cards, as well as supported mobile payments. You can also search and book through Trip.com’s Chengdu East–Chongqing train service. Its route search lists the individual Chongqing arrival stations. For other journeys, change the stations and date in the search form.

1. Enter the date and exact station pair. Compare direct services before adding a connection.
2. Choose a train and class. Second class is a straightforward choice for a short ride. Add every passenger with their own travel document.
3. Pay, then open the order. Confirm ticket issued, the train number, departure and arrival stations, carriage and seat.
4. Save those details so you can find the right gate without reopening the booking flow.

Ordinary tickets go on sale 15 days ahead, including the day you buy. For example, on 5 June you can buy for 19 June. Release times depend on the departure station. Use 12306's sale-time lookup for your station.

An earlier booking request through a travel platform waits for railway sales to open. Payment for that request does not mean a seat has been issued. Seat preferences, including sitting together, are requests until the actual allocation appears.

If 12306 offers waitlist (候补), select trains and classes you would actually take and prepay. It queues for returned tickets or added capacity. A waitlist order becomes a usable ticket only after fulfilment. Set its deadline early enough to reach the station, and cancel other orders you no longer need.

Enter your name from the passport fields

Use the document you will carry on the journey. On 12306, follow the field labels printed on its identity page:

• Full Name: enter that whole name in its printed order.
• Surname / Given Names: enter the surname group, then all given names, with a space between groups.
• First / Middle / Last Name: keep that sequence, with spaces between the groups.

Keep spaces within names too. Use the passport's Latin-letter name; 12306's instructions accept A–Z and a–z. For hyphens, apostrophes or commas, use its official passport-name instructions. They explain using the machine-readable name as a guide and replacing its separators with spaces. Enter the passport number without spaces.

A booking platform may split surname and given names into separate boxes. Use those labels, rather than pasting a 12306 full-name string into one of them. Check the saved passenger before paying. Names cannot be changed on an already purchased 12306 ticket; a wrong passenger entry needs refunding and buying again.

Enter the station and find your boarding gate

For a first visit, aim to reach the railway entrance about an hour before departure. Busy periods need that margin for security and document checks. Include your metro or taxi journey separately.

Bring the original valid passport. An electronic ticket is tied to it. You do not need to collect a paper boarding ticket, and a screenshot or itinerary sheet does not replace the document.

1. Follow entrance (进站) signs, rather than the arriving-passenger exit. Have your document ready for the identity check.
2. Put your bags through security. Use a staffed channel if your document needs manual checking.
3. Find your train number on the departure board and note the boarding gate (检票口). Several trains can share a destination.
4. Wait near that gate. It opens before departure and closes at the time displayed by the station.
5. Follow the platform signs to your carriage, then match the seat on your ticket. Keep the document for onboard checks and the destination exit.

Railway gates close before the train leaves.

Pack for railway security

Ordinary adults have a 20 kg free baggage allowance; children have 10 kg. On an EMU train, each bag's length, width and height added together must be no more than 130 cm, and each item must weigh no more than 20 kg. You carry and store it yourself. Folded mobility wheelchairs and qualifying folded infant strollers are excluded from the allowance.

Power banks and lithium batteries need clear capacity markings, with each no more than 100 Wh. Railway rules differ from flight rules. There is no blanket 100 ml rule for all ordinary liquids: flammable perfume-type products and aerosols have their own container limits. Check the railway restricted-items list before packing those products.

Make a connection you can reach

Check both station names on a connecting journey. Chongqing North to Chongqing East is a trip across the city, even when a booking result calls it one connection.

For a same-station change, follow transfer (便捷换乘) signs where that route is offered. Keep both issued tickets and the original travel document ready for staff. This can avoid leaving and passing through the entrance again. Use the station's directed route for your connection.

For different stations, allow time for getting out, the actual metro or taxi ride, and security at the next station. Choose a longer gap when carrying luggage or arriving during rush hour. A direct train is often easier than saving a few minutes with a tight connection.

Keep changes and family bookings simple

Manage a ticket through the service where you bought it. A 12306 ticket can be changed once when seats are available. Fare differences apply, and moving to a later date close to departure can add a change fee. Ordinary refunds must be made before departure; cancelling later usually costs more.

If you miss the train, 12306 permits a change by midnight on that day when seats are available. A ticket changed after departure cannot then be refunded. Check the order's offered options before choosing another train.

For children travelling with an adult, age on the travel date decides the ticket: ages 6 to under 14 qualify for a child discount; ages 14 and above pay full fare. Each adult may take one child under 6 free without a separate seat. Register that child in the booking and carry their accepted document too; buy a child ticket if they need their own seat.