Short answer
Xi'an is the last big eastern city on the line before the desert, and the rail distance to Urumqi is listed at 2,354 km by one timetable source and about 2,600 km by another. Either way the high-speed train takes 13 to 14 hours, which makes it a full day on board rather than a hop.
Two families of train cover the route. Direct D trains leave Xi'an North in the morning and reach Urumqi late the same evening. Conventional Z, T and K sleepers leave Xi'an Railway Station in the city centre, take roughly 24 to 26 hours, and are the cheaper option with real berths.
Booking opens 15 days before departure on 12306, and the name on the booking has to match the passport exactly. This is one of the easiest long routes in China to get right: eleven or twelve direct trains a day leaves room for a second attempt if your first choice is full.
The two options in detail
| Option | Classes sold | Typical journey time | Station in Xi'an |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-speed D train | Second class seat, first class seat | 13h26m and 14h17m on two listed morning departures | Xi'an North Railway Station (西安北站) |
| Conventional sleeper (Z / T / K) | Soft sleeper, hard sleeper, hard seat | Roughly 24h — 26h on the listed fast sleepers | Xi'an Railway Station (西安站) |
| High-speed with a change at Lanzhou or Xining | Seats on both legs | Listed at 13h — 15h of total travel | Xi'an North, then change west |
Train numbers and departure times are reissued several times a year. Treat the figures here as the current pattern rather than a timetable: the search results on 12306 for your date are the only version worth planning around.
Station choices in Xi'an
Xi'an has two stations that matter for this route, and booking the wrong one costs you an hour and a taxi ride across the city.
| Station | Where it is | Trains to Urumqi? |
|---|---|---|
| Xi'an North Railway Station (西安北站) | North of the old city, the high-speed hub for the whole province | Yes — the D trains |
| Xi'an Railway Station (西安站) | Central, just outside the old city wall on the north side | Yes — the Z, T and K sleepers |
Read the departure station off the ticket before arranging a lift. Both stations are on the metro network and both get very busy in the morning peak.
Xi'an is also the hinge of the high-speed network west of Beijing, so this route usually comes after a ride in from the east — the Beijing to Xi'an page covers the four-to-six-hour leg that gets you here, and if you are heading the other way, the western line south to Sichuan is on the Xi'an to Chengdu page.
Station choices in Urumqi
Urumqi's two passenger stations sit on opposite sides of the city.
| Station | Location | Serves |
|---|---|---|
| Urumqi Railway Station (乌鲁木齐站) | Toutunhe District, about 12 km northwest of downtown; opened 2016 with 9 platforms and 16 tracks | Most long-distance trains and the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed services, including the Xi'an D trains |
| Urumqi South (乌鲁木齐南站) | Southwest corner of the city — the original main station before the new one opened | Standard trains, plus a small number of high-speed services |
If a hotel description mentions being "near the station", confirm which one. Long-distance arrivals mostly land at the newer northern station, well outside the centre.
What it costs
| Class | Listed fare | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| D train, first class seat | CNY 1,167 | 2+2 across the car. Roughly CNY 87 an hour for a 13.5-hour ride. |
| D train, second class seat | CNY 735.5 — 736 | 3+2 across. The usual choice for the daytime run. |
| Sleeper, soft | CNY 735.5 — 780.5 | Four-berth compartment. Same ballpark as a second class seat for 24 hours. |
| Sleeper, hard | CNY 477.5 — 506.5 | Six-berth open bay, roughly a third less. |
| Hard seat | CNY 263.5 — 278.5 | Cheapest crossing to Xinjiang by rail. Long. |
Fares are distance-based and are adjusted from time to time. The 12306 app returns the live price for your date; third-party sellers add a handling fee on top of the official fare.
Is a transfer at Lanzhou or Xining faster?
No. Route listings quote 13 to 15 hours of total travel for the connection, which matches the direct D train — and it adds a change of station, a second ticket and the risk that the first leg runs late. The transfer only becomes interesting if the direct trains are sold out, or if you want to stop overnight in Lanzhou or Xining on the way.
If you do want that stop, both cities sit on the same line and are worth a night in their own right. The direct train remains the simpler answer.
How to book with a foreign passport
- Set the account up before you travelThe English 12306 site and app accept foreign passports, but identity verification has to be finished before the account can buy anything. Our 12306 English guide has the steps.
- Enter the name exactly as the passport prints itSurname, given name, middle name, in passport order. A mismatch with the identity record is the usual cause of a failed purchase.
- Book on the day the window opensSales start 15 days before departure. The direct D trains are the ones that fill first in summer.
- Decide which station you are leaving fromXi'an North for the D trains, Xi'an Railway Station for the sleepers. The two are on different sides of the city.
- Carry the passport you booked withIt is the ticket. Keep it on you rather than in a checked bag.
What to expect on board
The daytime D train is a 250 km/h set with second and first class seating, a restaurant car, a trolley service and power sockets at every row. Hot water dispensers at the end of each carriage do most of the catering, as on every Chinese long-distance train. No smoking anywhere on board.
The sleeper trains add berths and bedding to the same arrangement. Berth layouts and what to bring are set out on the train sleeper guide.
The scenery is the reason to take the train rather than fly. Beyond Lanzhou the line runs up the Hexi Corridor past Zhangye and Jiayuguan, then along the edge of the Gobi into Xinjiang, with the Qilian range on one side. On the daytime train that whole run happens in daylight; on the sleeper, it happens while you are asleep.
Two practical notes for a long day in a seat: food on board is limited to instant noodles, snacks and whatever the dining car has left, so carry more than feels necessary. And the last hour into Urumqi is well outside the city centre, with no metro at the newer station in the way you may expect from Xi'an.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Xi'an to Urumqi?
A direct high-speed D train takes about 13 hours 26 minutes to 14 hours 17 minutes from Xi'an North to Urumqi, on the two listed morning departures. Conventional Z, T and K sleepers from Xi'an Railway Station take roughly 24 to 26 hours. Both figures come from current route listings, which are revised several times a year.
Which Xi'an station do trains to Urumqi leave from?
It depends on the train. High-speed D trains leave from Xi'an North Railway Station (西安北站), north of the old city. Conventional Z, T and K trains leave from Xi'an Railway Station (西安站) in the city centre, just outside the wall. The ticket names the station, and the two are not interchangeable.
Is an overnight sleeper available on this route?
Yes. Around a dozen conventional Z, T and K trains run from Xi'an to Urumqi, most leaving between early morning and early afternoon and arriving the following morning, with soft sleeper, hard sleeper and hard seat. Journey times of 24 to 26 hours make it a single overnight.
Where does the train arrive in Urumqi?
The high-speed D trains run to Urumqi Railway Station (乌鲁木齐站) in Toutunhe District, about 12 km northwest of downtown. The older Urumqi South station (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 before booking a hotel.
How far in advance can I book a Xi'an to Urumqi ticket?
China Railway opens ticket sales 15 days before departure, counting the departure date itself. Tickets can be bought from 15 days ahead until roughly 30 minutes before departure, within 12306's daily service hours.
What does a Xi'an to Urumqi ticket cost?
Listed fares on the high-speed D trains are about CNY 735.5 to 736 for second class and CNY 1,167 for first class. On the conventional sleepers, a soft sleeper is CNY 735.5 to 780.5, a hard sleeper CNY 477.5 to 506.5 and a hard seat CNY 263.5 to 278.5. Fares are adjusted from time to time and travel dates affect availability, so check the official channel for your date.
Can the ticket be bought with a foreign passport?
Yes. The English 12306 site and app accept foreign passports once identity verification is complete, and the passenger name has to match the passport exactly. The same passport is needed at the station. Third-party agents can also buy on your behalf for a handling fee.
Is it faster to change trains at Lanzhou or Xining?
No. Route listings quote 13 to 15 hours of total travel for the connection, which is the same as the direct D train, with a transfer and the risk of missing it added on. The direct train is the simpler choice unless you want to stop overnight on the way.
Does the high-speed train run at full speed the whole way?
No. The Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed line carries the last 1,776 km of the route and is built for 250 km/h, so these are D trains rather than 300 km/h G trains. That ceiling is why a distance of roughly 2,350 to 2,600 km still takes thirteen hours or more.
Train or flight for Xi'an to Urumqi?
The train takes a full day or a full night on board, while a flight takes a few hours. The daytime D train is the choice for watching the Hexi Corridor and the Gobi go past; the sleeper is the cheaper one. On a tight itinerary, flying buys back a day.
Related reading
Setting up for the booking: the passport and identity verification steps are in the 12306 English guide, and the berth-by-berth layout of a Chinese sleeper carriage is on the seat classes page.
Compiled from China Railway route listings for the Xi'an–Urumqi corridor, station guides for Xi'an North, Xi'an main station 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.