Shanghai to Nanjing Train
Take a G high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Nanjing South: about 1 hour to 2 hours 30, Second Class from about CNY 117 to 167, booked on 12306 with a passport.
Take a G train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Nanjing South if you can. The fastest trains take about an hour, and on 28 October 2026 12306 listed around 160 G and D departures a day in each direction between these two stations.[1] Second Class is the standard choice, with fares from about CNY 117 to 167 for the dates checked.[1]
Foreign visitors can buy real-name tickets with a valid passport.[2] Book on the 12306 app or website, or at a station ticket window, and keep the passport at hand for the gates.
Map: Natural Earth (public domain) · Lines drawn through the stations of each service
Which train to take
There are two pairs of stations. Hongqiao to Nanjing South is the busy high-speed pairing: the quickest trains, such as G94 at 08:55 or G1 from Nanjing South at 10:15, cover it in about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, while slower stopping trains take up to roughly 2 hours 35 minutes.[1] Shanghai station to Nanjing South has around 40 trains on the same date, with G4 (07:00, 1 hour 11 minutes) and G28 (17:55, 1 hour 11 minutes) among the faster ones.[1]
The older line between Shanghai and Nanjing stations is served by G70xx trains such as G7002 (06:48) and G7010 (11:00), which take about 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours and call at cities along the way.[1] A few D and C trains on this pair take close to 3 to 4 hours, so check the duration before you pay.[1]
Pick the departure station by where you start and end the day, not by train number: Shanghai or Hongqiao on one end, Nanjing or Nanjing South on the other. Every combination is on sale, but the fastest running times are Hongqiao to Nanjing South.
Classes and fares
Second Class Seat is the cheapest option, with fares from about CNY 117 to 167 depending on train and date.[1] First Class Seat cost about CNY 188 to 268, and Business Class about CNY 449 to 585 on the trains that offer it.[1] A few trains such as G4 and G28 also sell a Premium First Class seat at around CNY 359 to 367.[1] Not every train carries every class, and fares differ by train and day, so the search results show the exact price.
Children between 1.2 and 1.5 metres pay a child fare, and one child under 1.2 metres travels free with an adult, though without a seat.[2]
How to book
Sign up on 12306 with your passport, switch the site to English, enter the stations and the date, pick the train, add each passenger and pay.[3] Tickets can be bought up to 15 days before departure.[3] Online sales run from 5:00 to 1:00, and until 23:30 on Tuesdays.[2] You can also buy at station ticket windows by showing your passport, or at ticketing machines in stations that sell e-tickets.[3]
Each valid ID can hold only one ticket on the same train and date.[2] You can change a ticket once, and refunds are free more than 8 days before departure, then cost 5 to 20 percent of the fare depending on how close you cancel.[2]
At the station and on board
Everyone and every bag goes through a security check, and queues form at security, ID verification and the gates, so arrive early.[2] With an e-ticket you do not collect anything: swipe your passport at an automatic check-in gate or show it at the manual gate.[3] Free luggage is 20 kg per adult, and on EMU trains no single item may exceed 130 cm in total dimensions.[2] Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the train.[2]
Stations
Shanghai Hongqiao is the main high-speed station on the west side of Shanghai, while Shanghai station is the older terminus in the north of the city centre. In Nanjing, Nanjing South is the high-speed hub for the Beijing to Shanghai line, and Nanjing station sits closer to the old centre by Xuanwu Lake. Trains between Hongqiao and Nanjing South can also stop at Kunshan South, Suzhou North, Wuxi East, Changzhou North, Danyang North or Zhenjiang South.[1]
Timetable
Shanghai to Nanjing
| Train | Departs | Arrives | Days | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1970G high-speed train | 06:09Shanghai Hongqiao | 07:36 Nanjing South | daily | Business Class, First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| D352D train | 06:12Shanghai Hongqiao | 08:30 Nanjing South | daily | First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G7002G high-speed train | 06:48Shanghai | 08:45 Nanjing | daily | Premium First Class, First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G4G high-speed train | 07:00Shanghai | 08:11 Nanjing South | daily | Business Class, Premium First Class, First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G94G high-speed train | 08:55Shanghai Hongqiao | 09:54 Nanjing South | daily | Business Class, First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G7010G high-speed train | 11:00Shanghai | 12:42 Nanjing | daily | First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G28G high-speed train | 17:55Shanghai | 19:06 Nanjing South | daily | Business Class, Premium First Class, First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G7068G high-speed train | 21:50Shanghai | 23:26 Nanjing | daily | First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
Nanjing to Shanghai
| Train | Departs | Arrives | Days | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3059G high-speed train | 06:14Nanjing South | 07:29 Shanghai Hongqiao | daily | First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G7001G high-speed train | 06:58Nanjing | 08:40 Shanghai | daily | First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G1G high-speed train | 10:15Nanjing South | 11:24 Shanghai Hongqiao | daily | Business Class, First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G3G high-speed train | 10:19Nanjing South | 11:33 Shanghai | daily | Business Class, First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G15G high-speed train | 15:36Nanjing South | 16:38 Shanghai Hongqiao | daily | Business Class, First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G7021G high-speed train | 16:58Nanjing | 18:40 Shanghai | daily | First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
| G35G high-speed train | 22:51Nanjing South | 23:51 Shanghai Hongqiao | daily | Business Class, First Class Seat, Second Class Seat |
Timetable source: 12306 train search, Shanghai to Nanjing[1]. Times change with timetable revisions. Check the operator's timetable before you travel.
Classes and fares
| Class | Type | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class Offered on selected G trains only. | Soft seat Air-conditioned | CNY 449 to CNY 585[1] per person, 12306 fares for 28 Oct 2026, vary by train and date |
| Premium First Class | Soft seat Air-conditioned | CNY 359 to CNY 367[1] per person, 12306 fares for 28 Oct 2026, vary by train and date |
| First Class Seat | Soft seat Air-conditioned | CNY 188 to CNY 268[1] per person, 12306 fares for 28 Oct 2026, vary by train and date |
| Second Class Seat Standard seat, the cheapest option on every train. | Seat Air-conditioned | CNY 117 to CNY 167[1] per person, 12306 fares for 28 Oct 2026, vary by train and date |
Stations
Main stations in travel order. Distances from the first station, where the operator publishes them.
-
Shanghai 0 km
上海站
-
Shanghai Hongqiao
上海虹桥站
Main high-speed station in west Shanghai and the fastest start for Nanjing South.
-
Nanjing South
南京南站
High-speed hub on the Beijing to Shanghai line, with the most arrivals from Hongqiao.
-
Nanjing
南京站
Older station; served by G70xx and some D and C trains from Shanghai.
How to book
Book with the operator
12306 (website and app)[3] · Sales open 15 days before departure.
At the station
ticket windows and machines at stations, passport required[3]
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] China Railway (12306): 12306 China Railway: train search Shanghai to Nanjing and Nanjing to Shanghai, 28 Oct 2026 (timetable and fares). Retrieved October 19, 2026.
- [2] China Railway (12306): 12306 China Railway: FAQ (real-name tickets, sales hours, refunds, luggage, children). Retrieved October 19, 2026.
- [3] Shanghai Municipal People's Government (english.shanghai.gov.cn): Train ticket sales begin for Spring Festival travel rush (how to buy train tickets). Retrieved October 19, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
The fastest G trains between Shanghai Hongqiao and Nanjing South take about 1 hour; slower stopping trains take up to roughly 2 hours 35 minutes, and a few D and C trains on the Shanghai to Nanjing station pair take close to 3 to 4 hours.
For 28 October 2026, 12306 showed Second Class from about CNY 117 to 167, First Class from about CNY 188 to 268 and Business Class from about CNY 449 to 585. Fares vary by train and date.
Yes. 12306 sells real-name tickets to foreign passengers with a valid passport, online or at a station ticket window, and the passport is checked at the gates.
Tickets can be bought up to 15 days before departure. Online sales run from 5:00 to 1:00, and until 23:30 on Tuesdays.
Shanghai Hongqiao to Nanjing South has by far the most trains and the fastest ones. Use Shanghai station or Nanjing station if they are closer to your hotel, but check the duration, since some of those trains take longer.