What’s it like traveling in the fastest High Speed Train in China; the Fuxing Train? And, what does Business Class add to the experience? Please read below my review of the Fuxing High Speed Train in Business Class from Shanghai to Beijing.
How to book your ticket
I always try to book my international train tickets directly with the train company itself. This saves you paying for the service costs 3rd parties charge – which in some cases can double the price of the train ticket! In the case of the China High Speed Train, tickets can be booked at the local website 12306.cn/en/. I used this website to book my ticket and as you can see from the ‘en’ extension, there is an english version. If you’re reluctant booking on a Chinese website, I did find that trip.com is charging very reasonable service costs.
It’s recommended to book in advance when you want to book a business class ticket since these tickets are normally selling out quickly. There are 3 classes in the Fuxing high-speed train. Second class, first class and business class. Second class has a 3-2 seat configuration. 5 seats in one row is very tight so I would recommend to go at least for a first class train ticket.
First class can really be compared with Second class in Japanese, Korean, and European high speed trains. First class has a 2-2 configuration.
Business Class has a 1-2 seat configuration (and in a few rows, a 1-1 configuration). But these Business Class seats aren’t ‘normal’ seats; these are full lie-flat seats. This makes traveling business class in the China High Speed Trains very unique.
Very unique but also not cheap. I paid roughly 280 Euro for my ticket in Business Class from Shanghai to Beijing. That’s more than double the price in First Class (130 Euro). And for roughly 280 Euro you can also fly non-stop, Business Class with Air China.
Business Class Experience
Traveling Business Class with the High Speed Train in China from Shanghai, does come with some other important benefits. You can bypass the queue of people waiting to access the platform. And even better, before going to the platform, you can relax in the business class lounge. The lounge provides a service where someone will bring you to the platform, 20 minutes before departure. Especially when navigating the Shanghai Hongqiao railway station for the very first time, that’s very convenient! Don’t expect too much from the lounge with regards to food or drink offerings though.
The Shanghai Hongqiao railway station has 16 platform, 30 tracks and serves more than 200,000 passengers every day. There are plenty of food and drink options in the station itself, including a Starbucks. I can recommend buying some food for the journey at the station itself, instead of relying what’s on offer in the train itself. Even though Business Class comes with complimentary food, it’s best to avoid the food option on the train. Unless you like cheap, 3$ microwave food with meat from dubious origins…
As stated, the Business Class seats in the Fuxing train are lie-flat which is of course a great feature. You’re also getting a blanket and slippers. The blanket is too short though and very thin. But with the seat in lie-flat position, the roughly 4-and-a-half hour journey to Beijing is very comfortable. The seat in lie-flat position isn’t too big though; roughly 180 cm which for me (I’m 6ft 3 or 193cm) was a bit too short.
Conclusion
Operational Speed of the Fuxing High Speed Train is around 350 km/h. It’s very impressive that almost the complete journey from Shanghai to Beijing is ‘cruised’ at that speed. What’s also impressive is the Chinese High Speed train network itself, which is build up in a relatively short time-span. 20 years ago, China didn’t have a high speed train, and now China has the biggest High Speed Train Network in the world with the fastest trains. Being able to experience that first hand, was a great experience. Don’t expect a bargain though, because prices aren’t cheap!
Also have a look at my Youtube Channel, where I posted a video of my experience with the China High Speed Train. Don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel if you like the content!
Also read my review of the Grand Hyatt Beijing. Centrally located in Beijing and only a few subway stops from the Beijing South Railway Station.
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