Shanghai - Xining Train

There are only four pairs of normal trains running daily between Shanghai Railway Station and Xining Railway Station, taking 25 – 34.5 hours. The running length is 2,383/2,401 kilometers (1,481/1,492 miles).
 
Besides, you can choose to travel by high speed train, but a transfer in Xi'an or Lanzhou is needed. By transfer, the journey takes around 10-12 hours in total.

As an alternative, you can also take direct flights to travel between the two cities, taking 3.5 hours for a single journey, but it usually costs more than rail trip and flight delays may occur frequently because of the changeable weather and the air traffic control.
 (Last Update on Apr 25, 2023)

Train No.	Departure - Arrival	Travel Time
Z376	08:57 - 13:38+	28h41m
K2186	10:56 - 20:47+	33h51m
Z164	20:02 - 21:03+	25h1m

See more Shanghai Schedule
 (Last Update on Apr 25, 2023)

Train No.	Departure - Arrival	Travel Time
K2188	08:20 - 18:05+	33h45m
Z166	09:38 - 11:58+	26h20m
Z378	22:55 - 05:32++	30h37m

See more Xining Schedule 

Notes:
1. "+" indicates the second day; "++" indicates the third day.
2. The timetable listed above is for reference only. Please search for the real-time schedule via the search box on top of this page. (Last Update on Apr 25, 2023)

Soft Sleeper	Hard Sleeper	Hard Seat
CNY 717.5 USD 106	CNY 464.5 USD 68	CNY 254.5 USD 37

 Running route:
Kunshan, Suzhou in Jiangsu, Wuxi, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, Chuzhou North, Bengbu, Suzhou in Anhui, Xuzhou, Dangshan, Xiayixian, Shangqiu, Minquan, Lankao, Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Sanmenxia, Tongguan, Weinan, Xi'an, Xianyang, Yangling, Caijiapo, Baoji, Tianshui, Longxi, Gangu, Wushan, Dingxi, Lanzhou, Haishiwan, Ledu, and Ping’anyi
  Transfer in Xi'an:
Passengers can first take bullet trains to Xi'an, taking 6 – 11 hours, and then take Xi'an – Xining high speed trains which take 4 – 5 hours. In this case, the total consumed time may be 10 – 16 hours. A second class seat costs about CNY 900 in total.

 Transfer in Lanzhou:
First, they can take Shanghai – Lanzhou High Speed Train, taking 10.5 hours. And then take Lanzhou – Xining Bullet Train, taking 1 – 1.5 hours. In this way, the total travel time will be cut down to 11.5 – 12 hours. A second class seat costs around CNY900 for this whole journey.

In the near future, Shanghai – Xining Direct High Speed Trains may also be operated, by then the travel will be much easier.
  Baoji
Located in the west of Shaanxi Province, Baoji city is the birth place of Chinese ancestor Yandi and has a quite long history. The city has many historical and natural attraction sites such as Famen Temple, Zhougong Temple, Guanshan Grassland, and Taibai Mountain National Forest Park. The city can be easily reached by either railroad or highway, and it is pretty convenient to reach Xi'an Xianyang International Airport from Baoji city.

 Tianshui
Tianshui, located in the southeastern region of Gansu Province, was once a vital stop along the ancient Silk Road and is praised as the root of ancient Chinese culture. When going to Tinshui city, you should not miss Maiji Caves which is 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the city and is one of the four well-known grottoes in China. In addition, you can also visit Fuxi Temple, Water Curtain Cave or Dadiwan Site. As the operation of Xi'an - Lanzhou High Speed Railway, Tinshui can be easily reached by bullet trains from major domestic cities.
 

 

 Major Rail Lines from Xining to: