Shanghai Railway Station: getting in, finding your train and getting out
Shanghai's older central station, north of the city center, with some high-speed trains and many overnight trains. Here is how to get in, through to your train, and out to the metro or a taxi with a foreign passport.
| Chinese name | 上海站 |
|---|---|
| Trains to | High-speed trains to Suzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Beijing, plus conventional and overnight trains |
| Metro | Line 1 on the South Square side; Lines 3 and 4 on the North Square side |
| Arrive | 45 minutes to an hour before departure |
Departing from Shanghai Railway Station
- Getting in. There are entrances on the North Square and the South Square; use the one on the side your metro line reaches. Use the staffed lane at the ID check and at the gate. The passport you booked with is your ticket: use the staffed lane, where it is checked against your booking, unless signs say the automatic gates take passports.
- Security. Bags go through an X-ray right after the ID check, and you walk through a scanner.
- The waiting hall. Waiting halls are upstairs above the tracks; the boards show the hall and gate for your train. Find your train number on the departure boards; boarding usually starts 15 to 20 minutes before departure and the gate closes a few minutes before.
- The platform. Your coach number (车厢) is printed on the floor markings and over the doors; stand at yours, as trains stop only briefly.
Left luggage: Lockers and staffed counters near the North and South entrances.
Arriving at Shanghai Railway Station
There are four arrivals exits. The southwest and southeast exits (1F) come out on the South Square, for Line 1; the northwest and northeast exits (B1) come out on the North Square, for Lines 3 and 4.
Taxi and Didi: Both squares have a taxi rank on B1. South Square: in the car park under the square, reached by lift 1 (east side of the square), lift 2 (north side) or the escalator opposite the South Entrance (南进口). North Square: from the northwest or northeast exit, follow the 出租车 signs to the B1 taxi waiting area. Ride-hail (网约车) pickups are signposted separately.
Tips
- A ticket that says just 上海 means this station, not Hongqiao (上海虹桥). Most high-speed trains use Hongqiao.
- The two squares are on opposite sides of the tracks, so check which one your hotel or metro line is on.
Next steps
- Shanghai city guide.
- Shanghai to Beijing
- Shanghai to Xi'an
- Shanghai to Chengdu
- Paying for the metro in Shanghai.
- Also in Shanghai: Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. Check which station your ticket says.
Sources: m.sh.bendibao.com, m.sh.bendibao.com, www.163.com, sg.trip.com. Spotted a change? Use the box below.
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