As one of three main train stations in the city of Beijing, Beijing South Railway Station was put into service in 2008, along with the operation of Beijing – Tianjin Intercity High-Speed Railway. It is the biggest and the second busiest train station in the city. This station serves as the terminus for high-speed trains from Beijing to Xi’an, Guangzhou, Changsha and Wuhan.
Beijing South Railway Station is located in Fengtai District, about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the city center, 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Beijing Railway Station and 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Beijing Capital International Airport.
Beijing South Railway Station has five floors, two of which are above ground, three of them are underground.
The departure concourse is on the second floor (2F). In the center of this floor is a large waiting lounge, which serves all the trains depart from Beijing South Railway Station. The waiting lounge has a total of 5,000 seats, that can accommodate more than 10,000 passengers waiting for the train at the same time.
The boarding gates are located around the waiting lounge. Train numbers are shown on the LED screen above the gate.
There are two VIP waiting lounges for business class travelers, which are beside the west entrance of second floor.
There are four ticket offices located on the second floor in the corners. Both manual ticket counters and automatic ticket machines are available. Ticket offices are for train ticket purchase, ticket collection, change and cancellation. There are usually one or two counters for ticket change and cancellation.
For passengers who hold passports can purchase or pick up tickets at the manual ticket counters and automatic ticket machines. But sometimes the ticket machines cannot recognize passports, and only Chinese service is available. So it would be more convenient to pick up your tickets at the manual counters.
Transfer hall is located on the first floor underground. The transfer hall is connected to the departure concourse on the second floor, to the subway platforms on the second and third floors underground.
If you have a connection train to be taken in Beijing South Railway Station, you don't need to go outside the station. Just make the transfer at the transfer hall.
There is a taxi stand and a bus stop beside the transfer hall. Also there is a ticket office and a waiting lounge.
The arrival concourse is located on the first floor underground. You can take a taxi or bus on the same floor. Or go downstairs through the elevator to take a subway.
Beijing South Railway Station serves long-distance high-speed rail lines of Beijing-Shanghai, with intermediate stops of Jinan, Nanning, Ningbo and Hangzhou, etc. It also serves intercity high-speed lines between Beijing and Tianjin.
Beijing South is also a terminus for Beijing Subway Line 4 and Line 14.
Apart from transportation service, Beijing South Train Station also provides humanized service to make sure travelers have a smooth train journey.
The information desk is located on the second floor beside the waiting lounge, provides enquiry service. You can ask for information about boarding gate or train schedules at the information desk.
The service center is also located on the second floor between the No. 16 and No. 17 boarding gates, providing service specially for travelers who are pregnant or handicapped. The service center offers assistance with ticket booking, ticket collection, check-in and check-out. Moreover, there is a breastfeeding area and a waiting room for handicapped travelers in the service center.
Wheelchairs can be rent at the service center on the second floor. The retal service is free of charge. But a deposit of RMB600 (90 USD) is required, which will be fully refunded when the wheelchair is returned.
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