Geoffrey loves his fast trains and this was an opportunity he couldn’t resist – the chance to travel on the longest high-speed railway line in the world! He’d complained that our previous bullet train rides had ended up been too short for him to appreciate fully. So once making ourselves comfortable on board we sat back to enjoy the 2,298 km 9-hour journey at an average speed of 300km/hr !!
What strikes you about the ride is how incredibly quiet and smooth it is. We were lucky to secure seats in the business class carriage which meant we had acres of space to spread out or sleep (but that would have wasted the experience for Geoffrey). How could one compare this to the stressful, cramped, noisy experience of flying? You may save a few hours flying but this assumes the flight will leave on time whereas trains ALWAYS leave on time. And unlike flying you can more productively use the time to due to the increased comfort of travel.
We were spoilt in the business. There are dedicated crew on call and a complimentary meal service is provided. We had access to our luggage which was stowed behind our seats.
It’s a great experience and a welcome change from flying if you’re not on a tight schedule. It is also likely to more expensive as you can often pick up a cheap fare on this popular route. But for sheer long-distance travelling pleasure it’s hard to beat.
If you would like more information about this destination please do not hesitate to contact me.
Information:
Every day, 5 pairs of high speed G trains are running between Beijing and Guangzhou with travel time of 8-10 hours. A second class seat ticket costs CNY 862. Every Friday to next Monday, additional 6 pairs of overnight D trains are available, taking 10-10.5 hours.
They are running along Beijing – Guangzhou High Speed Railway, short for Jingguang High Speed Railway, which is the longest high speed railway in the world with a total distance 2,298 km (1,428 miles).
As an important north-south rail line of China high speed railway, it connects Beijing West Railway Station and Guangzhou South Railway Station, going through 28 China cities, including Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, and Wuhan. The speed was designed to be 350 km/h.
