Short answer
Xi'an North (西安北) is the high-speed hub and the station almost every visitor uses. It is one of the largest high-speed stations in the country — 18 platforms and 34 tracks — about 14 km north of the Bell Tower, with Metro Lines 2, 4 and 14 underneath. If your ticket is a G or D train to or from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, Lanzhou or Yinchuan, it is almost certainly Xi'an North.
Xi'an Station (西安站) is the old central station, sitting immediately outside the north side of the city wall next to the Daming Palace ruins. It handles conventional K, T and Z trains — sleepers, slower long-distance services — plus a small number of Beijing-bound high-speed trains. Metro Line 4 stops underneath it, with a direct underground transfer into the station.
Since 30 June 2026 there is a third: Xi'an East (西安东), in Baqiao district, opened alongside the Xi'an–Shiyan high-speed line, with Metro Line 5. It serves the Xi'an–Yan'an, Xi'an–Ankang and Xi'an–Shiyan corridors. Read the station name on your booking, North and the old station are roughly 13 km apart, which is a 30-minute metro ride and not something you can absorb on the platform.
Which station for which direction
| Destination | Station | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Xi'an North | Nearly all high-speed services; a few pairs a day use Xi'an Station instead |
| Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou | Xi'an North | High-speed services on the Xuzhou–Lanzhou corridor |
| Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Xuzhou | Xi'an North | Same eastbound high-speed corridor |
| Chengdu, Chongqing | Xi'an North | Xi'an–Chengdu high-speed line |
| Lanzhou, Xining, Urumqi | Xi'an North | Westbound high-speed corridor |
| Yinchuan | Xi'an North | Xi'an–Yinchuan high-speed line |
| Taiyuan, Datong, Pingyao | Xi'an North | Datong–Xi'an high-speed line |
| Wuhan, Shiyan, Xiangyang | Xi'an East | Xi'an–Shiyan high-speed line, opened June 2026 |
| Yan'an | Xi'an East | Xi'an–Yan'an line; initially ran from Xi'an North before East opened |
| Ankang | Xi'an East | Conventional services on the Xi'an–Ankang line |
| Overnight sleepers and slower long-distance trains | Xi'an Station (some now Xi'an East) | Conventional network; check the station on the ticket |
| Terracotta Army | No station — bus or metro plus bus | See the Terracotta Army section below |
The three stations, one at a time
Xi'an North (西安北), where nearly everything leaves from
Xi'an North is the reason Xi'an became a genuine national rail crossroads. The station has 18 platforms and 34 tracks in three separate yards, with a station building of about 171,000 square metres, and it brings together the Xuzhou–Lanzhou high-speed line, the Xi'an–Chengdu line, the Datong–Xi'an line, the Xi'an–Yinchuan line and the Guanzhong intercity network. East, west, north-east, south-west and regional services all converge here.
It sits outside the old city entirely. Three metro lines run into it, Line 2 straight south to the Bell Tower in roughly half an hour, Line 4 toward the city, and Line 14, the airport line, which connects the station directly to Xianyang International Airport including the newer Terminal 5 stop.
Two practical warnings. The building is enormous and the walk from security to a distant platform is long, treat it like an airport. And because almost every visitor passes through, the passport queues at peak times are the worst in the city.
Xi'an Station (西安站), by the city wall
Xi'an Station is the station in the postcard: outside the north side of the Ming city wall, a short walk from the Daming Palace National Heritage Park and a taxi ride from the Muslim Quarter and the Bell Tower. It is a conventional station at heart, K, T and Z trains, sleepers, the slower long-distance network, and it is where you end up if you are travelling cheaply, overnight, or on a route the high-speed network does not cover.
What surprises people is that it also has high-speed departures. Since October 2023 a small number of Beijing-bound G trains have run from Xi'an Station rather than Xi'an North, so passengers can board closer to the city centre. If you booked a Beijing train and assumed North, check the ticket before you leave the hotel.
Metro Line 4 stops directly beneath the rail station with a direct underground transfer into the concourse. From here, Line 4 runs to Xi'an North in 13 stops, about 30 minutes.
Xi'an East (西安东), the newest one
Xi'an East opened on 30 June 2026, the same day as the Xi'an–Shiyan high-speed line, completing a Xi'an–Wuhan corridor that previously required a detour. It is in Baqiao district, east of the city, with 13 platforms and 27 tracks and a dual purpose: high-speed yards for the Xi'an–Shiyan line and a conventional yard for the Xi'an–Ankang line.
Metro Line 5 serves it, having opened its station there on the same day. In its first summer the station was running around 110 train pairs a day, roughly three quarters of them high-speed, radiating to dozens of cities, but it is new, so frequencies are still settling. If your ticket says 西安东, plan the journey out carefully; do not assume it is near the wall.
At a glance
| Xi'an North 西安北 | Xi'an Station 西安站 | Xi'an East 西安东 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Main high-speed hub | Conventional, central | New high-speed and conventional hub |
| Location | About 14 km north of the Bell Tower | Outside the north side of the city wall | Baqiao district, east |
| Metro | Lines 2, 4, 14 (Line 14 to the airport) | Line 4, direct underground transfer | Line 5 |
| Size | 18 platforms, 34 tracks | Central, older station | 13 platforms, 27 tracks |
| Serves | Almost all G and D trains nationwide | K/T/Z sleepers plus a few Beijing G trains | Yan'an, Ankang, Shiyan, Wuhan directions |
Getting between them and into the city
- Xi'an North → Bell Tower: Metro Line 2, about 30 minutes, straight south. Add time for the walk inside the station.
- Xi'an North ↔ Xi'an Station: Metro Line 4, 13 stops, roughly 30 minutes. Do not attempt this as a tight connection.
- Xi'an Station → city centre: Line 4, or a short taxi ride to the Muslim Quarter and the Bell Tower area.
- Xi'an East → anywhere else: Metro Line 5, changing lines to reach North or the centre. Allow a proper hour and check the route first.
- Airport: Metro Line 14 from Xi'an North serves Xianyang International Airport, including the newer Terminal 5 station. From Xi'an Station, take Line 4 to Xi'an North and change.
Terracotta Army: which station does not matter
The Terracotta Army is in Lintong, roughly an hour east of the city, and no railway station serves the site. Two routes work:
- Metro Line 9 east toward Lintong, getting off at Huaqingchi or Qinling West, then a local bus for the last stretch. The nearest metro station to the site is still several kilometres away, so the bus leg is not optional.
- The tourist bus historically leaving from the east square of Xi'an Station, the 游5 route, also numbered 306. Bus stands around the station have moved over the years, so confirm the current departure point locally rather than trusting an old guidebook.
A taxi or ride-hailing car from central Xi'an is the simplest option for a group, and many visitors book a car for the day with the Huaqing Palace site included.
Reading the station name correctly
- 西安北 = Xi'an North, and it really is north, outside the old city.
- 西安 with no direction = Xi'an Station, the central one by the wall.
- 西安东 = Xi'an East, the new station in Baqiao.
- Any other name, check where it is before you pay. The Xi'an area has smaller stations on regional lines, none of them near the centre.
Practical notes at Xi'an's stations
- Your passport is the ticket. Scan it at the station gate and again at the platform gate; nothing to print or collect.
- Arrive 30–45 minutes early at Xi'an North; it is one of the largest stations in China.
- If an automated gate rejects your passport, use a staffed lane instead of retrying.
- Book on 12306, the official platform, and use the free waitlist when a train is sold out.
- Xi'an North is not walkable to the sights. The Bell Tower, the Muslim Quarter and the city wall all need the metro or a taxi.
Frequently asked questions
Does Xi'an have more than one railway station?
Yes. Three main passenger stations: Xi'an North (the high-speed hub), Xi'an Station (the old central station by the city wall) and Xi'an East, which opened on 30 June 2026. Smaller stations on regional lines also exist, so check any name that is not one of those three.
Which station do most trains to Beijing use?
Xi'an North, for nearly all high-speed services. A few Beijing-bound G trains run from Xi'an Station instead, closer to the centre, so confirm the station on your ticket.
How far is Xi'an North from the city centre?
About 14 km north of the Bell Tower, which is roughly 30 minutes on Metro Line 2. It is not a walkable distance and there is nothing much around the station itself.
Is Xi'an Station the one near the city wall?
Yes. It sits just outside the north side of the Ming city wall, close to the Daming Palace ruins, with Metro Line 4 connected to the concourse underground.
How do I get from Xi'an Station to Xi'an North?
Metro Line 4, 13 stops, about 30 minutes. Allow longer with luggage, because both ends involve a substantial walk inside the building.
Is there a metro line to the airport?
Yes, Metro Line 14 links Xi'an North directly to Xianyang International Airport, including the Terminal 5 station that opened in 2025. From Xi'an Station, take Line 4 to Xi'an North and change.
Which station is best for the Terracotta Army?
Neither. The site is in Lintong, east of the city, with no railway station. Take Metro Line 9 and a local bus, or the tourist bus that historically departs from the Xi'an Station area, or a taxi. Confirm current bus departure points locally.
Related reading
Station sizes, yards, opening dates and metro connections follow state media and government reporting on Xi'an North, the October 2023 launch of Beijing-bound high-speed trains from Xi'an Station, and the 30 June 2026 opening of Xi'an East with the Xi'an–Shiyan high-speed line, plus metro operator records. Which station a given train uses is set by China Railway and changes with each national timetable, confirm the station name for your specific train in the 12306 app before you travel.