Short answer
The Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed line is 2,298 km long, the longest high-speed railway in the world, and it opened in December 2012. Trains run from Beijing West (北京西站) to Guangzhou South (广州南站). The fastest services cover it in 7 hours 15 minutes to 7 hours 40 minutes; most departures take 8 to 11 hours because they stop more often.
An overnight sleeper is a real alternative: a handful of high-speed overnight services run the corridor in about ten hours, and conventional Z, T and K trains take roughly 22 hours.
Tickets go on sale 15 days before departure, and passport verification on 12306 is reviewed by hand, so start it early. Second class sits in the ¥862–1,036 band; 12306 takes Alipay and WeChat Pay, not foreign credit cards.
Stations at each end
The two ends of this route are not interchangeable. Read the station on the booking, not the city.
| Station | Chinese name | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing West | 北京西站 | The start point for essentially every high-speed service on this corridor, west of the city centre with a metro stop under the square. |
| Guangzhou South | 广州南站 | The high-speed terminus, in Panyu district well south of the Yuexiu and Tianhe hotel districts. Build metro time into arrival plans. |
| Guangzhou Station | 广州站 | Central Guangzhou, used by conventional overnight trains. Easy to mistake for Guangzhou South on a booking screen. |
Guangzhou Baiyun and Guangzhou East are separate stations with different metro and taxi access. Our train station guide covers how names appear on tickets.
Journey times
| Option | Typical duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fastest high-speed (G) | 7 h 15 – 7 h 40 | Beijing West to Guangzhou South with very few stops |
| Most high-speed (G) | 8 – 11 hours | More calls at cities such as Zhengzhou, Wuhan and Changsha |
| High-speed sleeper (D) | About 10 hours, overnight | Berths instead of seats, limited nights of the week |
| Conventional Z / T / K | About 22 hours | Hard and soft sleeper berths, the cheapest berths on the route |
The 7-to-11-hour spread comes from stops: a service calling at a dozen cities adds each stop plus the acceleration time either side of it.
Seat and berth classes
| Class | Chinese | Layout |
|---|---|---|
| Second class | 二等座 | 3+2 seating, five seats per row. The class most travellers buy for eight hours |
| First class | 一等座 | 2+2 seating, wider seat, more recline, quieter car |
| Business class | 商务座 | Lie-flat or deeply reclining pods in a small cabin, the top fare on the train |
| Soft sleeper | 软卧 | Four berths in an enclosed compartment, on D and Z services |
| Hard sleeper | 硬卧 | Six berths in an open bay, conventional trains only, lowest berth prices |
Standing tickets appear on peak dates when seated inventory sells out. Our seat classes guide explains seat selection.
What it costs
China Railway prices each train individually, so route guides publish a band rather than one figure.
| Class | Fares quoted by route guides |
|---|---|
| Second class | ¥862 in one guide, ¥878–1,036 in another |
| First class | About ¥1,380 |
| Business class | About ¥2,724 |
| Conventional sleeper | Below the high-speed second-class fare; one guide quotes about US$63 hard sleeper and US$110 soft sleeper |
The overnight options, compared
Two different products get called "the overnight train" on this corridor, and they are not alike.
- High-speed sleeper (D series). Bullet-nosed trains with berths, roughly ten hours end to end, running on a limited number of nights each week. Search the exact date in the app before planning around one.
- Conventional Z, T and K trains. About 22 hours on the older route. The advantage is berth choice: soft sleeper gives a four-berth compartment, hard sleeper an open bay of six.
A high-speed sleeper gives the shorter night; a conventional train gives the cheapest berth. Our sleeper guide covers berth numbering and shared-compartment etiquette.
Booking it with a foreign passport
- Verify your passport on 12306 earlyVerification needs a passport photo plus a selfie holding it, and a person reviews it. One guide puts the wait at 3–5 working days, so do it before the trip.
- Work to the 15-day windowTickets appear 15 days before departure and stay on sale until about 30 minutes before departure, inside a 05:00 to 01:00 sales day.
- Compare departures, not just the routeDuration varies by more than three hours between services, so sort by arrival time.
- Pay inside the app12306 settles through Alipay or WeChat Pay. Foreign credit cards are not taken directly.
- Travel on the passportAt most stations the passport opens the gate; a few smaller stations still want a paper ticket collected first. Our 12306 in English guide covers the screens.
On board, and at the station
Arriving 45–60 minutes before departure is the sensible margin: luggage is screened and the passport checked at the entrance, and boarding usually opens about 20 minutes before the train goes.
On the train there is a power socket at every seat, hot water at the car ends, a buffet car or trolley on longer runs, and overhead racks for a cabin bag. Mobile coverage drops in the long tunnels.
Compiled from two independent route guides (Seat 61 and Trainspread), cross-checked against TravelChinaGuide's Beijing–Guangzhou fare table and the published 12306 sales and passport-verification rules, 30 September 2026. Timetables and fares are set by China Railway and change with each revision — confirm your departure on the 12306 app.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Beijing to Guangzhou?
The fastest high-speed departures run the 2,298 km in roughly 7 hours 15 minutes to 7 hours 40 minutes. Many services take 8 to 11 hours because they call at more intermediate stations. Conventional overnight trains take about 22 hours.
Which station does the train leave from in Beijing?
Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站) for virtually every high-speed service on this corridor. Beijing has several large terminals and they are far apart, so check the station printed on your booking rather than assuming.
Which station does it arrive at in Guangzhou?
Guangzhou South Railway Station (广州南站), in Panyu district south of the centre, for high-speed trains. Conventional overnight trains normally arrive at the central Guangzhou Station (广州站), a different building. Guangzhou also has Guangzhou East and Guangzhou Baiyun stations.
Is there an overnight train from Beijing to Guangzhou?
Yes, two kinds. A small number of high-speed overnight sleeper services cover the corridor in about 10 hours, usually on selected nights of the week. Conventional Z, T and K trains take around 22 hours and have proper soft and hard sleeper berths.
How much is a second-class ticket?
Route guides show second class between about ¥862 and ¥1,036, with one guide quoting ¥1,380 for first class and ¥2,724 for business class. China Railway prices every train individually, so the official figure for your departure appears only on 12306.
Can I book with a foreign passport?
Yes. 12306's English site and app accept foreign passports for registration and for travel, and passport verification is an official process. Do the verification well before your trip: it is reviewed manually and can take several working days.
How far in advance can tickets be booked?
Tickets normally go on sale 15 days before departure, and on 12306 they can be bought from that point until about 30 minutes before the train leaves. On holiday dates and Friday or Sunday departures, seats can disappear the day sales open.