Chengdu to Chongqing train in 2026: high-speed times, prices and which station to use

How long does the Chengdu to Chongqing high-speed train take?

As fast as about 1 hour, but for the date searched most trains take 1.5 to 2.5 hours. For travel on 15 October 2026, a 12306 English-site search made on 8 October 2026 listed the quickest trains from Chengdu East as G8609 at 09:25 and G8611 at 10:40, both to Shapingba (沙坪坝) in 1h02m. In that search, 45 of the 120 Chengdu East trains were listed at 1h30m or less to their first Chongqing stop and 6 at more than 2h30m. The median listed journey time was about 1h40m. D trains were listed at about 1h30m to 2h45m. The slowest G listing was G5765 at 14:38 to Jiangbei Airport station, 3h27m.

The spread comes from how many stops a train makes and which Chongqing station it ends at. When the Fuxing trains started in December 2020, a Chongqing government article described a non-stop Shapingba to Chengdu East run of 62 minutes and said the stops differ train by train. That is history, not a current price or timetable, but the fastest time in the 15 October 2026 search is the same 1h02m.

How much is a Chengdu to Chongqing train ticket?

For travel on 15 October 2026, a 12306 search made on 8 October 2026 listed these second-class seat prices from Chengdu East. A price with a discount label is already discounted, so the full fare is higher:

• G trains: 90 trains. ¥166 to ¥237 without a label; ¥125 to ¥211 with a discount label (4% to 24% off).
• D trains: 28 trains. ¥85 to ¥128 without a label, the cheapest being D50 at ¥85; ¥85 to ¥107 with a discount label (5% to 24% off), the cheapest being D3058 and D2224 at ¥85 (24% off). All three go to Chongqing North.
• C trains: two trains, C78 at ¥94 (no label) and C3406 at ¥102 (9% off), both to Chongqing North.

For one example, G8609 (Chengdu East 09:25, Shapingba 10:27) showed ¥148 (9% off) second class, ¥237 (9% off) first class and ¥461 (20% off) business class. G2371 (06:45 to Chongqing West 08:00, 1h15m) showed ¥125 (24% off) second class.

Fares change with the train and the date. Look up your own date on the 12306 English site before you plan a budget.

The cheapest listed fare in that search was a hard seat at ¥50.5 on the slow K and Z trains from Chengdu West, listed at 2h48m to 5h26m.

Which Chengdu station do I leave from?

Chengdu East (成都东) for almost all of them. In a 12306 search made on 8 October 2026 for travel on 15 October 2026, 120 of the 131 trains listed with prices were listed from Chengdu East. Chengdu South (成都南) had 10, running 09:24 (D6197) to 18:35 (G8533). Three trains were listed from two or three Chengdu stations and counted at each: D6197 and D633 from Chengdu South also appeared at Chengdu East as D6196 and D632; D5111 appeared at Chengdu West and Chengdu South, then at Chengdu East as D5110. Chengdu West (成都西) had 5, all to Chongqing North between 10:37 and 20:36. Four of those are K and Z trains with no second-class seat. The fifth, D5111 at 16:24, was listed at 3h04m for ¥123 (4% off).

Three Chengdu South listings (G8531, G8763 and G8533) showed no arrival station on the search page, so this page can't say where they end. For the stations themselves and how to reach them, see our Chengdu railway stations guide.

Which Chongqing station should I arrive at?

Chongqing has several stations, and a Chengdu train can end at any of them. The table shows Chengdu East departures for 15 October 2026, from a 12306 search made on 8 October 2026. A train that stops at two or three Chongqing stations is counted in each of those rows, so the rows add up to more than the 120 trains. The last two columns are G-train second class only: the price without a discount label, and the price with one, which is already discounted.

North and West are the big stations. As of the October 2024 timetable, Chongqing's timetable notice counted 145.5 pairs of passenger trains at Chongqing West (128 of them EMU) and 164.5 at Chongqing North (139.5 EMU). It counted 27 pairs of EMU trains at Shapingba and 3 pairs at Jiangbei Airport station. Those are 2024 counts, not today's.

For the return trip on 15 October 2026, a 12306 search made on 8 October 2026 listed Shapingba to Chengdu East at 1h02m (G8612 at 10:30, G8620 at 11:25 and G8618 at 12:05). The fastest listed journeys were 1h04m from Chongqing West (G8608 at 09:13), 1h16m from Chongqing North (G8634 at 18:46) and 1h39m from Chongqing East (G2446 at 18:12). The last departure from Chongqing West was G2882 at 21:52.

Which Chongqing station is best for my hotel?

Choose by the metro line near your hotel. The station notices below differ in age, so the dates matter:

• Chongqing North: in the Liangjiang New Area (两江新区). As of the January 2021 rebuild, an underground transfer hall under the south station building connects to the exits of Lines 3, 10 and 4, and the north and south squares are linked.
• Chongqing West: a Chongqing West station on Line 5, whose phase 1 south section opened on 20 January 2021. A page of 19 January 2021 says it transfers with the Loop line (环线).
• Shapingba: the Loop line, Line 1 and Line 9 share one transfer hall under Sanxia Square, opened on 30 September 2022.
• Chongqing East: Line 6 East section, covered below.

Our Chongqing travel guide covers the city itself.

Is there a security check when I change from the train to the Chongqing metro?

Not a second one at the three older stations. A Chongqing government page of 13 January 2025 says that from that day, passengers leaving the Shapingba railway exit and entering the metro station need no second security check. At Shapingba, walk straight from the railway exit and take the escalator downstairs into the area where no second security check is needed, then tap a card to enter the metro. The same page says passengers from Chongqing West and Chongqing North already transfer without one, and that all Chongqing metro stations connected to the railway had it. At Shapingba, the check-free area also has a passage to the bus, ride-hailing and taxi pick-up points.

That January 2025 page said the transport group was working to have the same ready at Chongqing East. The Chongqing East opening pages don't say whether it is in place there.

Is Chongqing East station open, and is it on the Chengdu line?

Yes, it is open, and some Chengdu trains go there. Chongqing East opened on 27 June 2025, with 46 passenger trains in the initial period, according to the Chongqing government's opening notice. It is on the southeast side of Chayuan new district, Nan'an district (南岸区). The notice names the Yuxia (Chongqing-Xiamen) high-speed line and the first Chengdu and Chongqing to Zhangjiajie trains. It does not say that Chengdu to Chongqing trains use it.

The 12306 search does. For 15 October 2026, a search made on 8 October 2026 listed seven Chengdu East trains arriving at Chongqing East: G2445, G2321, G3763, G2417, G2447, G2449 and G2451. All were G trains, 1h41m to 2h42m. Second class was ¥193 without a discount label on five of them (G2321, G2417, G2447, G2449 and G2451), and ¥176 (G2445, 8% off) and ¥201 (G3763, 6% off) with one. In that search their fastest listed journey was slower than the fastest Shapingba train, and their listed second-class prices were higher than the Shapingba ¥139 to ¥156 (every Shapingba fare carried a discount label, 4% to 15% off). Four of them (G2321, G2417, G2449 and G2451) also showed a Chongqing West arrival 42 to 53 minutes before the Chongqing East one. If your hotel is not near Line 6, Chongqing West may save you time.

The Line 6 notice of 27 June 2025 gives these details, all for the opening period:

• The Line 6 East section opened at 11:30 that day. It has four stations (Chongqing East 重庆东站, Taohuaqiao 桃花桥站, Baileyuan 百乐园站 and Liujiaping 刘家坪站) over 6.9 km.
• At Liujiaping you change to Line 6 on the same platform.
• Initial operating hours were 07:30 to 21:30, with extra trains planned early and late.
• Six bus routes were planned to open with the station, including a customised airport express, D620 (Chongqing East to Jiangbei Airport).
• The station has two taxi waiting areas and one ride-hailing area. A left-luggage locker is on the Line 6 Chongqing East concourse (floor 1).

Metro and bus details may have changed since opening, so check the current hours, especially for a late arrival.

Can I buy a Chengdu to Chongqing train ticket with a foreign passport?

Yes. The 12306 English FAQ says foreign passengers can buy real-name tickets with a valid passport. The 12306.cn English site accepts only valid foreign passports. Tickets are also sold at station counters and ticket machines, and 12306 says the railway department will not handle ticketing problems that occur on other websites.

Search your date and stations on the 12306 English site, book with your passport, and keep that passport with you: for an e-ticket, the 12306 FAQ says you show the ID you bought with to enter and leave the station and to board.

The English site sells tickets from 05:00 to 01:00 the next day (05:00 to 23:30 on Tuesday). Information queries and refunds run 24 hours.

Is the itinerary sheet enough to board?

No. After buying an e-ticket you can print the itinerary sheet, but 12306 says neither the itinerary sheet nor the reimbursement receipt can be used as a ticket. For refunds and changes, see 12306 refund and change fees. If you would rather not use 12306, we can book train tickets for you.

How often do trains run, and do I need to book ahead?

Neither the 12306 English FAQ nor the 12306 search gives a fixed frequency, and trains change with each timetable. What a 12306 search made on 8 October 2026 shows for 15 October 2026 is a full day of departures. Chengdu East had 120 trains between 06:10 (D3058) and 22:15 (G8677). Counting every Chengdu station, there were 131 trains with times and prices, shown as 149 listings, because the page lists a train once for each pair of Chengdu and Chongqing stations it serves.

On booking ahead, the 12306 English FAQ does not state how many days before departure tickets go on sale, and the search showed seat availability for one date only. If you need a particular departure, such as a late arrival that fits the metro hours above, book it on 12306 before you travel.