Short answer
Beijing to Urumqi is roughly 3,100 km, and no 300 km/h train covers the whole run. Two direct services exist: a Z-series overnight sleeper taking around 38 hours, and a D-series high-speed train taking about 29 hours 50 minutes. Both leave from Beijing West Railway Station. Plan for one night on board at best, two on the sleeper.
If 30 hours on a train is more than you want, break the journey. High-speed to Lanzhou or Xining, a night in a hotel, then a D train along the Lanzhou–Xinjiang line into Urumqi. That version is roughly 24 hours of travel spread over two days, with a real bed in between.
Book inside the official window: China Railway opens sales 15 days before departure, including the departure date. Berths on this route disappear fastest in July and August, and around Lunar New Year and National Day week.
The direct options, side by side
Route listings for Beijing–Urumqi show only a handful of direct departures each way, and the mix is rewritten with the seasonal timetable. The real choice is speed against price.
| Option | Classes sold | Typical journey time | Stations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct sleeper (Z series) | Soft sleeper, hard sleeper, hard seat | About 38 hours — a listed Beijing departure runs 38h23m | Beijing West → Urumqi Railway Station |
| Direct high-speed (D series) | Second class seat, first class seat, sleeper grades on some services | About 29 hours 50 minutes | Beijing West → Urumqi Railway Station |
| High-speed with a hotel night in Lanzhou or Xining | G train seats, then D train seats or berths | Roughly 24 hours of travel over two days | Beijing West → Lanzhou West / Xining → Urumqi |
| Flight | — | About 4 hours | Beijing → Urumqi |
Train numbers and departure times are reissued several times a year. Treat any specific number you read on a blog, including on this page, as an example of what the route looks like rather than a timetable. The list on the 12306 app for your travel date is the only version worth planning around.
Station choices in Beijing
Trains to Xinjiang use Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站), on the western edge of the central grid. It is a large station with separate ticket halls and a long walk from the metro exit to the platform, so arriving 60–90 minutes before departure is not excessive.
Beijing has four stations a visitor may plausibly end up at, and they are not connected to each other. Beijing South handles the eastern high-speed lines, including the flagship run covered on our Beijing to Shanghai route page. A ticket is valid only from the station printed on it.
For the high-speed leg towards Xi'an and Lanzhou — the first half of the transfer route — trains leave from Beijing West as well, which is one small mercy. Details of that segment are on our Beijing to Xi'an page.
Station choices in Urumqi
Urumqi has two passenger stations and they sit on opposite sides of the city.
| Station | Where it is | What uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Urumqi Railway Station (乌鲁木齐站) | Toutunhe District, about 12 km northwest of downtown. Opened in 2016, 9 platforms, 16 tracks. | Most high-speed and long-distance services, including the direct trains from Beijing. |
| Urumqi South (乌鲁木齐南站) | Southwest corner of the city — this was the original main station before the new one opened. | Standard trains, plus a small number of high-speed services. |
Reading the station name off the ticket before you book onward transport matters more here than in most Chinese cities: a 30-minute taxi ride separates them, and hotel advice about "the station" is often about the southern one.
Seat and berth classes on this route
The two train families sell completely different things.
- Z-series sleeper: soft sleeper (four berths to a compartment, with a door), hard sleeper (six berths to an open bay), and hard seat. For a 38-hour ride the hard seat is an endurance test, and most foreign travellers book the hard sleeper or above.
- D-series high-speed: second class seat (3+2 across the car), first class seat (2+2, more legroom). Some overnight D services on the national network also sell sleeper berths in two grades — six-berth and four-berth compartments — but availability is train-specific rather than route-wide.
The class names, what they look like and how to tell them apart are set out on our seat classes page, and the berth layouts on the sleeper guide.
What it costs
A listed Z-series service between the two cities prices as follows. Fares on Chinese railways are distance-based and are adjusted periodically, so read these as the shape of the pricing, not a promise.
| Class on the direct sleeper | Listed fare | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|
| Soft sleeper | CNY 982 | Four-berth compartment with a door — the standard choice for two nights. |
| Hard sleeper | CNY 637 | Six-berth open bay. About a third cheaper, half the privacy. |
| Hard seat | CNY 352 | Cheapest way to cross the country and the least comfortable by a wide margin. |
High-speed D fares sit above this and scale with the class you pick. Check the exact figure on the official channel when you book — the 12306 app returns the live price for your date, and third-party sellers add their own handling fee on top.
How to book with a foreign passport
- Set up 12306 before you need itThe English site and app accept foreign passports, but the account needs identity verification before it can buy anything. Our 12306 English guide walks through it.
- Enter your name exactly as printed on the passportSurname, given name, middle name, in the passport's order. A mismatch with the identity record is the most common reason a purchase fails.
- Be ready the day the window opensSales start 15 days before departure. On a route with only a few direct trains a day, the berths that matter go quickly.
- Book the class you will actually useOn the sleeper, the difference between hard and soft is two nights of sleep. On the D train, first class is the difference between a 3+2 row and a 2+2 row for thirty hours.
- Carry the passport you booked withIt is the ticket. Keep it on you at the station and on board, not in a checked bag.
- Check the station on the confirmationIn both cities, the departure and arrival station names differ between services. Read them before booking a hotel near "the station".
What to expect on board
Thirty-plus hours is a different kind of train travel to the four-hour hops most visitors know. Hot water dispensers sit at the end of every car, which is how the instant noodles and tea culture of Chinese long-distance rail works; the D trains have a dining car and a trolley service, and the sleeper services have a dining car plus a trolley. Every carriage has power sockets, the berths include bedding, and there is no smoking anywhere on board.
Late sleepers, take note: the lights in an open hard-sleeper bay stay on later than in a closed soft-sleeper compartment.
Two nights and a day cross Gansu and then Xinjiang. The landscape changes from the Loess Plateau to the Hexi Corridor and finally to the desert edge before Urumqi, and the daylight hours of the second day are the part worth staying awake for.
For the rules on what can travel in your bags, see luggage rules on Chinese trains. Booked but plans changed? Refunds and changes explains the fee ladder.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the train from Beijing to Urumqi take?
The direct high-speed D-class service runs about 29 hours 50 minutes, and the direct Z-series overnight sleeper takes around 38 hours — one listed Beijing departure runs 38h23m. Both are long-haul services rather than day trips. Route listings are reissued several times a year, so confirm the current times on 12306 for your travel date.
Is there a direct train, or do I have to change somewhere?
Direct departures exist in both directions; route listings show a small number of them each day. If they are sold out or do not suit your dates, change at Lanzhou West or Xining onto a Lanzhou–Xinjiang line train, or split the trip at Xi'an and spend a night there.
Which Beijing station do trains to Urumqi leave from?
Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站). Beijing has several large stations and a ticket is only valid from the station printed on it. Beijing South, for example, is a different station used by the eastern high-speed lines such as the Shanghai run.
Which station does the train arrive at in Urumqi?
Most long-distance and high-speed arrivals use Urumqi Railway Station (乌鲁木齐站) in Toutunhe District, about 12 km northwest of the downtown area; it opened in 2016 with 9 platforms and 16 tracks. Urumqi South (乌鲁木齐南站), on the southwest side, handles standard trains plus a few high-speed services. Check the station on your ticket — the two are on opposite sides of the city.
How far in advance can I buy a Beijing to Urumqi ticket?
China Railway opens sales 15 days before departure, counting the departure date itself. On 12306, tickets can be bought from 15 days ahead until about 30 minutes before the train leaves, within the platform's daily service hours.
Can I book this train with a foreign passport?
Yes. The English 12306 website and app accept foreign passports once identity verification is complete. The name entered must match the passport exactly, and the same passport is needed at the station. Third-party agents can also buy for you, with a handling fee.
Are there sleeper berths on the high-speed train, or only seats?
Seats are always sold: second class and first class. Some overnight D services on the national network also offer sleeper grades with six-berth and four-berth compartments, but which grades a given Urumqi train carries varies by train. The class list on 12306 for your date is the authority.
What does a sleeper berth cost on this route?
A listed Z-series Beijing–Urumqi service prices a soft sleeper at CNY 982, a hard sleeper at CNY 637 and a hard seat at CNY 352. Fares are distance-based and are adjusted from time to time, so check the official channel for your date rather than relying on a quoted figure.
Does the high-speed train run at full speed the whole way?
No. The western section of the route, the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed line, is 1,776 km of track built for 250 km/h. That ceiling is why the direct trains are D class rather than 300 km/h G class, and why a trip of roughly 3,100 km takes about thirty hours.
Train or flight for Beijing to Urumqi?
A flight covers the distance in about four hours, while the train takes a full day or more. The train is far cheaper and crosses Gansu and Xinjiang at ground level. On a short trip, flying one way and taking the train the other way is a common compromise.
Related reading
Long journeys in the same family: the sleeper layout described on the train sleeper guide, and the booking flow with a foreign passport in the 12306 English guide.
Compiled from China Railway route listings for the Beijing–Urumqi corridor, station guides for Beijing West and both Urumqi stations, Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed line references, and 12306 booking rules, cross-checked 30 September 2026. Train numbers, departure times, fares and seat-class lists on this route are revised through the year, and the timetable in the 12306 app or on the official channel for your travel date is the authoritative version. Nothing here is a booking guarantee.