Which station does my train leave from, Kunming or Kunming South?
Read the station name on your ticket. 昆明 means Kunming Railway Station, the older station in the city, on Beijing Road. 昆明南 means Kunming South Station, out in Chenggong District. Both are in Kunming, but they are different stations in different districts, so the name on the ticket decides where you go.
The names matter because in the 12306 results for 14 October 2026, a search for just "Kunming" listed trains from both. The English page prints them as Kunming (昆明) and Kunmingnan (昆明南). On some routes it listed the same train twice, once from each station, sometimes under two train numbers. Check the departure station when you book, and again before you leave your hotel. For the booking itself, see our 12306 train tickets guide.
Don't mix them up
A 2018 report on the opening of the Kunming-Dali line, on the Chengjiang city government site, warned passengers not to go to the wrong station. It said a ticket printed 昆明 leaves from Kunming Railway Station (also called Nanyao station, at No. 1 Beijing Road), and a ticket printed 昆明南 leaves from Kunming South Station at Wujiaying, Chenggong. That report is from 2018, so use it for the two names, not for which trains use which station today.
Kunming South Station (昆明南站): where it is and which subway lines
China Railway puts Kunming South Station in Chenggong District (呈贡区), at Wujiaying (吴家营), on the west side of Longtan Mountain (龙潭山). It sits where the Nanning-Kunming, Shanghai-Kunming, Yunnan-Guangxi and Kunming-Yuxi-Honghe lines meet.
The same page says the station connects directly with Kunming Metro Lines 1 and 4 (与昆明地铁1、4号线无缝衔接). On the Kunming government's metro notices, the metro stop is called 昆明南火车站 (Kunming South Railway Station). Look for that name on subway maps and in apps.
It is a big station: 30 platforms and 30 arrival-and-departure tracks. Construction started on 20 June 2011, and it opened for operation on 15 December 2016. The page does not give walking times inside the station.
Kunming Railway Station (昆明站), the old city station: where it is and how to reach it
China Railway puts Kunming Railway Station on Beijing Road (北京路) in Guandu District (官渡区). The page says it is where the Shanghai-Kunming, Chengdu-Kunming and Nanning-Kunming railways meet Kunming Metro Lines 1 and 2. So by subway you take Line 1 or Line 2 to the station. The page gives no street number.
The station opened on 1 July 1970, and the current station building opened on 1 January 2005. It has 9 passenger platforms and 14 arrival-and-departure tracks. China Railway calls it a mixed high-speed and conventional station (高普混开车站) that mainly handles conventional-train and D-train (动车) passengers, ticket sales and pickup, and luggage and parcels. There is a city air terminal (城市候机楼) inside the station building.
The official station pages don't say anything about left luggage, nearby hotels, taxi queues or opening hours at either station, so this page doesn't either.
Which Kunming station for Dali, Chengdu, Guiyang and other cities?
Many routes leave from both stations. The table below is the 12306 English-site result for 14 October 2026, read on 6 October 2026, for searches from "Kunming". In these results, the same train can appear more than once for different departure or arrival stations, so the table first counts different trains, then how many of them you could board at each Kunming station. A train that stops at both stations is counted in both station columns. Trains change by date, so treat it as a snapshot, not a rule. Your day may look different.
| To | Different trains | You could board at Kunming Railway Station (昆明) | You could board at Kunming South (昆明南) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dali | 57 (42 stop at both stations) | 57 (fastest D8652, 1h55m) | 42 (fastest D8653, 2h18m) |
| Shangri-La | 4 | 4 (fastest C86, 4h45m) | None |
| Xishuangbanna | 25 (18 stop at both stations) | 18 (fastest C384, 3h31m) | 25 (fastest C381, 3h8m) |
| Chengdu | 26 (4 stop at both stations) | 12 (fastest G2838, 6h6m) | 18 (fastest G2822 to Chengdudong, 5h49m) |
| Guiyang | 59 (none at both) | 14, G, K and Z (fastest G2846, 2h45m) | 45, all G (fastest G2804 to Guiyangbei, 2h24m) |
| Guangzhou | 19 (6 stop at both stations) | 9 (fastest G2978, 7h11m) | 16 (fastest G910 to Guangzhounan, 6h42m) |
| Shanghai | 6 (none at both) | 2 slow trains, K80 and a T train, to Shanghaisongjiang (K80 34h45m) | 4, all G, to Shanghaihongqiao (fastest G202, 9h35m) |
| Beijing | 4 (none at both) | 2 Z trains (fastest Z54, 34h30m) | 2, both G, to Beijingxi (fastest G308, 10h40m) |
Notes on the table. Where a train stops at both stations, it left Kunming South first for Dali and Chengdu, and Kunming Railway Station first for Xishuangbanna and Guangzhou, 22 to 36 minutes apart on that date; for Guangzhou it kept the same train number at both. One Guangzhou train, G2938 from Kunming South, is listed three times, to Guangzhou, Guangzhouxintang and Zengcheng, and counts once. Rows marked "Ticketing service is temporarily closed due to train timetable adjustment" are not counted: 4 in the Xishuangbanna search, 1 in the Chengdu search and 2 in the Guangzhou search. The Chengdu search showed trains arriving at Chengdudong, Chengdunan and Chengduxi, so the arrival station differs too. The table does not cover Lijiang or Guilin, so this page says nothing about which Kunming station serves them. For Dali, see our Kunming to Dali train guide. For the onward leg from Lijiang to Shangri-La, see the Lijiang to Shangri-La train guide.
Whatever the table says, go to the station printed on your own ticket.
Kunming South to Kunming Railway Station: changing stations with a connection
Neither China Railway station page gives a travel time, distance or fare for going from one station to the other. What the two China Railway pages do say is that Kunming South connects with Lines 1 and 4 and Kunming Railway Station with Lines 1 and 2. Going by those two pages, Line 1 serves both stations.
Plan the exact ride in Amap. Then leave extra time. If your two tickets are separate, a late first train can leave you with a missed second one. Our 12306 refund and change fees guide covers refund and change fees.
Is the subway running when my late train arrives at Kunming South?
The Kunming government notices don't give the normal last-train time at Kunming South Railway Station. They only describe one-off extensions, and both have ended:
- Spring Festival 2024. On 8, 9, 16 and 17 February 2024, three extra trains ran at 15-minute intervals after the last train from Kunming South Railway Station toward the North Bus Station (北部汽车站) on Lines 1 and 2 phase one.
- May Day 2026. On 30 April, 1 May and 5 May 2026 only, three extra trains ran on Lines 1 and 2 phase one after the last scheduled train from Kunming South Railway Station toward the North Bus Station, and the last departure from there was extended to 23:45.
These were special arrangements for holiday peaks. Don't read them as the usual timetable. If your train arrives late at night, find the metro timetable for your travel date before you count on the subway. If you would rather not depend on it, we can book a private car for the transfer.
How early to arrive, security check and your passport
The 12306 English FAQ does not give a number of minutes for arriving early. It says the ticket counter, station entrance, ticket gate and platforms are a few minutes' walk apart, and that ticket sales and ticket check stop before departure. The exact time is on the station announcement. It also says there may be queues at the ticket window, security check, ID verification counter, ticket gate and baggage counter, so you should reserve enough time. Kunming South has 30 platforms, so build in a margin.
Security check. The FAQ says all passengers and the belongings they carry go through security check. You place your baggage and belongings in the dangerous goods inspector and pass through the security gate. If you carry a power bank, read our power bank rules for flights and trains first.
Your passport. The FAQ says foreign passengers can buy real-name tickets with a valid foreign passport, and that the 12306 English site accepts only valid foreign passports. You show the ID document used to buy the ticket to enter the station and board. So carry the same passport you booked with. For the passport check on 12306, see the 12306 passport verification guide. The 12306 English FAQ does not describe passport checks at the station step by step.
Planning the rest of your Kunming trip
For things to do and how to move around the city, see our Kunming travel guide. We can help you plan the day and tell you how to book, and we book flights, hotels and train tickets.
