Shanghai to Hangzhou Train: G Trains, Stations, Tickets
Take a G train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East: the fastest take 45 minutes and about 110 trains run a day. Buy a real-name ticket on 12306 with your passport.
Take a G train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East. The 12306 search for 28 October 2026 lists 109 trains on this pair, 98 of them G trains and 11 D trains, leaving between 05:52 and 21:19, and the fastest take 45 minutes.[1] You buy a real-name ticket on 12306 with your passport, and a Second Class seat is the standard choice.[2]
The trip needs no advance planning beyond the ticket: trains leave several times an hour through the day, so a missed train costs you minutes, not hours. Check the departure and arrival station on the ticket before you pay, because both cities have more than one.
Map: Natural Earth (public domain) · Lines drawn through the stations of each service
Which train to take
G trains between Hongqiao and Hangzhou East take 45 minutes non-stop and up to about 1 hour 37 minutes when they call at several stations on the way.[1] G205, for example, runs non-stop in 45 minutes, while G7687 takes 59 minutes with stops at Jiashan South and Jiaxing South.[1] Some G trains, such as G7541, also stop at Tongxiang and Linping South.[1] D trains take 55 minutes to 1 hour 27 minutes on the same pair.[1]
Other Shanghai stations work too, but they are slower. Shanghai South to Hangzhou East takes 46 minutes to 1 hour 27 minutes on G trains, and the G trains from Shanghai station take 1 hour 25 minutes or more.[1] Slower K, T, Z and Y trains and some D trains also run on the older line from Shanghai Songjiang or Shanghai West to Hangzhou or Hangzhou South, and they take about 1 hour 30 minutes to almost 3 hours.[1] For a plain city to city trip, pick a G or D train from Hongqiao to Hangzhou East.
Classes
G and C trains sell Business Class, First Class and Second Class. D trains sell First and Second Class only.[1] For the sampled trains on 28 October 2026, the 12306 price search showed Second Class at 57 to 106 yuan, First Class at 90 to 169 yuan and Business Class at 199 to 320 yuan.[1] The cheapest fares were on D trains, and the highest Second Class fare was for the train from Shanghai station. Fares differ by train and station pair, so use the price shown for your date.
How to book
Tickets are real-name tickets: you show the valid ID used to buy the ticket to enter and leave the station and to board.[2] Foreign passengers can buy with a valid passport, and the English version of 12306 accepts only foreign passports.[2] Registration takes your passport details, so enter the name and number exactly as printed in the passport.
The 12306 search showed trains for dates up to 15 days ahead, counting the day of travel, in October 2026.[1] The website sells tickets from 5:00 to 1:00 the next day, and until 23:30 on Tuesdays.[2] You can also buy at station ticket counters and automatic machines.[2]
Refunds on 12306 cost nothing more than 8 days before departure. Closer to departure the fee is 5 percent of the fare more than 48 hours ahead, 10 percent from 48 to 24 hours ahead and 20 percent under 24 hours, with a minimum of 2 yuan.[2] The ticket is valid only for the date and train printed on it.[2]
Stations
Hangzhou East is the main arrival station for the fast trains. G and C trains from Hongqiao also run to Hangzhou West, for example C2403 at 06:42, which arrives at 08:07.[1] Hangzhou station and Hangzhou South serve the older line, and the slower trains that arrive there take longer. In Shanghai, Hongqiao has by far the most departures to Hangzhou: 109 trains to Hangzhou East against 44 from Shanghai South on the day searched.[1]
The return trip
The return pair works the same way. On 28 October 2026 the search listed 101 trains from Hangzhou East to Hongqiao between 06:08 and 22:51, again with 45 minutes as the fastest time.[1] The last departure in the search was G7526 at 22:51, arriving at 23:36.[1] Timetables are revised during the year, so look up your own date before you plan a late connection.
Timetable
Shanghai to Hangzhou
| Train | Departs | Arrives | Days | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G7541G high-speed train | 05:52Shanghai Hongqiao | 06:51 Hangzhou East | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| G1321G high-speed train | 06:07Shanghai Hongqiao | 06:56 Hangzhou East | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| C2403C intercity train | 06:42Shanghai Hongqiao | 08:07 Hangzhou West | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| G205G high-speed train (non-stop) | 07:00Shanghai Hongqiao | 07:45 Hangzhou East | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| G7687G high-speed train | 07:25Shanghai Hongqiao | 08:24 Hangzhou East | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| D3131D bullet train | 07:41Shanghai Hongqiao | 08:37 Hangzhou East | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | First Class, Second Class |
| G7357G high-speed train | 08:00Shanghai | 09:36 Hangzhou East | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | First Class, Second Class |
| G9481G high-speed train | 12:12Shanghai South | 12:59 Hangzhou East | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| G37G high-speed train | 12:37Shanghai Hongqiao | 13:31 Hangzhou East | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| G7383G high-speed train | 21:19Shanghai Hongqiao | 22:20 Hangzhou East | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
Hangzhou to Shanghai
| Train | Departs | Arrives | Days | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G896G high-speed train | 06:08Hangzhou East | 06:58 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Second Class |
| D2160D bullet train | 07:37Hangzhou East | 08:59 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | First Class, Second Class |
| C3610C intercity train | 08:07Hangzhou West | 09:26 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| G7640G high-speed train | 08:28Hangzhou | 09:34 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| G256G high-speed train (non-stop) | 12:32Hangzhou East | 13:17 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
| G7526G high-speed train | 22:51Hangzhou East | 23:36 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for 28 October 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class |
Timetable source: 12306 ticket search, Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East (sample of 16 trains out of 109 outbound and 101 return departures)[1]. Times change with timetable revisions. Check the operator's timetable before you travel.
Classes and fares
| Class | Type | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class Offered on G and C trains only. | Seat Air-conditioned | CNY 199 to CNY 320[1] per person, one way, sampled trains for 28 October 2026, G and C trains only |
| First Class Offered on G, D and C trains. | Seat Air-conditioned | CNY 90 to CNY 169[1] per person, one way, sampled trains for 28 October 2026 |
| Second Class Standard seat on all trains. | Seat Air-conditioned | CNY 57 to CNY 106[1] per person, one way, sampled trains for 28 October 2026 |
Stations
Main stations in travel order. Distances from the first station, where the operator publishes them.
How to book
Book with the operator
12306 website and app[2] · Sales open 15 days before departure.
At the station
ticket counters and automatic ticketing machines at stations that sell e-tickets[2]
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] China Railway (12306): 12306 ticket search: Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East, 28 October 2026 (timetable and fares). Retrieved October 19, 2026.
- [2] China Railway (12306): 12306 English FAQ: real-name ticketing, foreign passports, sales hours, refunds. Retrieved October 19, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Shanghai Hongqiao. It has the most trains to Hangzhou East, and the fastest ones take 45 minutes. Shanghai South and Shanghai station also have trains but fewer and slower ones.
The fastest G trains between Hongqiao and Hangzhou East take 45 minutes. Trains with several stops take up to about 1 hour 37 minutes, and D trains take 55 minutes to 1 hour 27 minutes.
Yes. Tickets are real-name tickets and foreign passengers can buy them with a valid passport. You show the same passport to enter the station and board.
For the trains sampled on 28 October 2026, Second Class cost 57 to 106 yuan, First Class 90 to 169 yuan and Business Class 199 to 320 yuan. The price shown on 12306 for your date is the one that counts.
In October 2026 the 12306 search showed dates up to 15 days ahead, counting the day of travel. Trains between the two cities run all day, so there is usually a choice of departures.
Yes. On 12306 a refund more than 8 days before departure has no fee. After that the fee is 5, 10 or 20 percent of the fare depending on how close to departure you cancel.