Shanghai to Suzhou High-Speed Train
Take a G-series high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao or Shanghai station to Suzhou: 25 to 50 minutes, with trains every few minutes and second class from 30 yuan. Book on 12306 with your passport.
Take a G-series high-speed train. Depending on the stations and the train, the ride takes 25 to 50 minutes, and departures are frequent from early morning to the evening. In a 12306 search for Wednesday 28 October 2026, 47 trains ran from Shanghai Hongqiao to Suzhou, 89 from Shanghai station to Suzhou and 65 from Hongqiao to Suzhou North.[1] Second class on G trains cost 30 to 46 yuan for Shanghai or Hongqiao to Suzhou in the same search.[1]
Tickets are real-name tickets. Book on 12306 with your passport, or buy at a station counter or ticket machine, and show the same passport at the station gates.[2]
Map: Natural Earth (public domain) · Lines drawn through the stations of each service
Which stations to choose
In Shanghai, Hongqiao and Shanghai station (the old main station in the city centre, listed as "Shanghai" by 12306) both have direct trains to Suzhou. Hongqiao is the larger hub and sits next to the airport. 12306 also lists a few departures from Shanghai Songjiang, Shanghai South and Shanghai West.[1]
In Suzhou, the stop you pick matters more than the Shanghai side:
- Suzhou station is the stop for the old town and gardens. It sits at the northern edge of the old town, a short taxi or metro ride from the gardens, and takes most of the Shanghai trains.[1]
- Suzhou North is on the Beijing to Shanghai line and has the shortest journeys, 21 to 22 minutes from Hongqiao in the same search, but it is far north of the centre.[1]
- Suzhou Industrial Park is the stop for the eastern business district and the lake area. Trains from Shanghai take about 24 minutes there.[1]
- Suzhou New District has only a few trains, 36 to 53 minutes from Shanghai, but it is the western end of Metro Line 6.[1]
Metro Line 6 runs through the old town and opened in June 2024. Its Humble Administrator's Garden Suzhou Museum station is a hundred or so metres from the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lion Grove Garden.[3]
Trains and classes
Most trains are G trains, with business class, first class and second class. Fares differ by train and by station pair: second class 30 to 46 yuan, first class 48 to 74 yuan and business class 122 to 162 yuan from Shanghai or Hongqiao to Suzhou.[1] The fares to Suzhou North are slightly higher, 33 to 44 yuan in second class from Hongqiao.[1]
D trains are slower and cheaper at the low end, and conventional K, Z and T trains from Shanghai station take 47 to 88 minutes with hard seats at 14.5 yuan.[1] A ticket without a seat number is a standing ticket, priced like second class on the fast trains.
How to book
12306 has an English website and a mobile app. Foreign passengers can buy real-name tickets with a valid passport, and the English site accepts only foreign passports.[2] Ticket sales and changes run from 5:00 to 1:00 the next day (5:00 to 23:30 on Tuesday).[2] In October 2026 the search offered dates up to 15 days ahead, counting today.[1]
You can also buy at ticketing counters and automatic machines in stations. E-tickets are tied to the passport you booked with.[2]
Changes and refunds follow China Railway rules. A refund more than 8 days before departure carries no fee, 5 percent applies from 8 days to 48 hours before, 10 percent between 48 and 24 hours, and 20 percent within 24 hours.[2]
At the station
Every passenger and bag goes through a security check, and you show the ID document used for the ticket when entering and leaving the station.[2] Queues can form at security, ID check and ticket gates, so reserve extra time, especially at Hongqiao and Shanghai station.[2] Smoking is banned on all EMU trains.[2]
Visiting Suzhou in a day
The journey is short enough for a day trip. Leave Shanghai in the morning, go to Suzhou station and continue by metro or taxi to the old town. Take the return train from the station you arrived at, or from Suzhou North if you want the fastest ride to Hongqiao, and buy the return ticket before you leave if the date is within the sales window.
Timetable
Shanghai to Suzhou
| Train | Departs | Arrives | Days | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G7032G high-speed | 05:45Shanghai | 06:10 Suzhou | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G3124G high-speed | 06:06Shanghai | 06:38 Suzhou | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G464G high-speed | 06:48Shanghai Hongqiao | 07:10 Suzhou North | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G8988G high-speed | 08:25Shanghai | 08:49 Suzhou Industrial Park | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G8302G high-speed | 08:52Shanghai Hongqiao | 09:19 Suzhou | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| K2186K conventional | 08:57Shanghai | 10:00 Suzhou | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | Hard Seat (K, Z, T trains), No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G7164G high-speed | 13:09Shanghai Hongqiao | 13:35 Suzhou | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G7588G high-speed | 20:09Shanghai Hongqiao | 20:36 Suzhou | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
Suzhou to Shanghai
| Train | Departs | Arrives | Days | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G7101G high-speed | 07:47Suzhou | 08:19 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G937G high-speed | 10:57Suzhou North | 11:19 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G7315G high-speed | 13:25Suzhou | 14:00 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G7019G high-speed | 17:14Suzhou | 17:40 Shanghai | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G7143G high-speed | 17:19Suzhou | 17:44 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
| G8301G high-speed | 19:47Suzhou | 20:26 Shanghai Hongqiao | Shown for Wed 28 Oct 2026, check your date | Business Class, First Class, Second Class, No-seat (standing) ticket |
Timetable source: 12306 train search, Shanghai Hongqiao to Suzhou and reverse, 28 October 2026[1]. Times change with timetable revisions. Check the operator's timetable before you travel.
Classes and fares
| Class | Type | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class Business class on G trains, fares vary by train. | Seat Air-conditioned | CNY 122 to CNY 162[1] per person, 12306 search for 28 October 2026, varies by train |
| First Class | Seat Air-conditioned | CNY 48 to CNY 74[1] per person, 12306 search for 28 October 2026, varies by train |
| Second Class | Seat Air-conditioned | CNY 30 to CNY 46[1] per person, 12306 search for 28 October 2026, varies by train |
| No-seat (standing) ticket A ticket without a seat number; priced like second class on G trains. | Standing Air-conditioned | CNY 30 to CNY 46[1] per person, 12306 search for 28 October 2026, varies by train |
| Hard Seat (K, Z, T trains) Conventional trains only (K, Z, T), slower than G trains. | Seat | CNY 14.5[1] per person, 12306 search for 28 October 2026, varies by train |
Stations
Main stations in travel order. Distances from the first station, where the operator publishes them.
How to book
Book with the operator
12306 (English website and app)[2] · Sales open 15 days before departure.
At the station
Ticketing counters and automatic ticket machines in stations, passport required[2]
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] China Railway (12306): 12306 train search, Shanghai Hongqiao to Suzhou and Suzhou to Shanghai Hongqiao, 28 October 2026. Retrieved October 19, 2026.
- [2] China Railway (12306): 12306 English website: FAQ (real-name ticketing, passports, sales hours, refunds). Retrieved October 19, 2026.
- [3] Suzhou Municipal People's Government: Suzhou Metro Line 6 opens, 14 stations next to Tiger Hill, Humble Administrator's Garden and other sights. Retrieved October 19, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Between 25 and 50 minutes depending on the train and the stations. The shortest trips in a 12306 search for 28 October 2026 were 21 to 22 minutes from Hongqiao to Suzhou North, and 25 to 26 minutes from Shanghai or Hongqiao to Suzhou.
Hongqiao is the larger hub and Shanghai station has the most departures to Suzhou. Both have direct trains, so pick the one closer to your hotel.
Suzhou station is the closest of the main stops to the old town. From there, Metro Line 6 or a taxi reaches the gardens. Suzhou North is much farther from the centre.
Yes. China Railway sells real-name tickets, and foreign passengers use a valid passport to book on 12306 or at the station. The same passport is checked at the gates.
In a 12306 search for 28 October 2026, second class on G trains cost 30 to 46 yuan, first class 48 to 74 yuan and business class 122 to 162 yuan from Shanghai or Hongqiao to Suzhou.
In October 2026 the 12306 search offered dates up to 15 days ahead, counting today. Ticket sales run from 5:00 to 1:00 the next day, and until 23:30 on Tuesday.