Short answer: Zhangjiajie has two railway stations. Every high-speed train (G, C and D numbers) and the two Z-series expresses (Z298 and Z8002) arrive at Zhangjiajie West Railway Station, about 10 km north-west of downtown; the slow overnight K trains from Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing arrive at the old Zhangjiajie Railway Station in the city, about 1 km from the Tianmen Mountain cableway. From Zhangjiajie West it is about 25 km (30 to 40 minutes by car) to Wulingyuan and the National Forest Park. Leaving the station you have four options: our private transfer (CNY 100 per car to the city, CNY 200 to Wulingyuan for one to four people, driver waiting at the exit), a taxi (about CNY 60–90 to Wulingyuan), the coaches from the bus station next to the station (about CNY 13 to Wulingyuan), or a city bus (CNY 2, about an hour to downtown).
Which station does your train arrive at?
Check the destination printed on your ticket before you plan the pickup. “Zhangjiajie West” (张家界西) is the high-speed station; plain “Zhangjiajie” (张家界) is usually the overnight conventional train.
| Station | Which trains | Where it is | To Wulingyuan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhangjiajie West (high-speed, opened December 2019) | All G, C and D high-speed trains, plus Z298 and Z8002 | Wulingshan Avenue, Shadi, Yongding district; about 10 km north-west of downtown | About 25 km, 30–40 minutes |
| Zhangjiajie Railway Station (the old city station) | Conventional K trains: K9268 from Guangzhou, K1373 from Shanghai, K267 from Beijing | In the city, about 1 km from the Tianmen Mountain cableway | About 40 km, 40–50 minutes |
What Zhangjiajie West is like
It is a large modern station with 7 platforms and 17 tracks, built for the Changsha–Zhangjiajie high-speed line and now also served by the Chongqing–Changsha trunk line, so trains from Changsha, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu and Xi’an all come in here. The entrance, ticket office and waiting hall are on the upper level; the exit hall is on the ground floor, and the taxi and ride-hailing rank is in the B1 car park. With a foreign passport you do not collect a paper ticket: your e-ticket is tied to the passport, and you go through the staffed channel at the gates on the way in and out. Our Shanghai to Zhangjiajie guide explains booking and boarding step by step.
Four ways from the station to your hotel
| Option | To Wulingyuan / the Forest Park | To the city | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our private transfer | CNY 200 per car for 1–4 people; CNY 300 for 5–6 | CNY 100 for 1–4; CNY 200 for 5–6 | Driver waits at the exit with your name, takes you to the hotel door; late arrivals and delays are covered |
| Taxi or DiDi | About CNY 60–90, 30–40 minutes | About 20 minutes, CNY 20–30 | Daytime arrivals, if you have a ride-hailing app that works in China |
| Coaches from the bus station beside Zhangjiajie West | To the Wulingyuan (east) gate about CNY 13, 40–60 minutes; to the Forest Park south gate about CNY 12, 30 minutes; to the Grand Canyon glass bridge about CNY 22, about an hour | — | Budget travellers; the Wulingyuan coach runs through the station from about 06:00 to 19:20 in the daytime, with the last departure as posted at the station that day |
| City bus | — | Routes 6 and 17, CNY 2, about 50–60 minutes; the stop is about 100 m to the right as you leave the exit. Route 4 to Hehua Airport, about an hour and a half | No hurry, little luggage |
To be fair about it: to the city our transfer costs about the same as a taxi, and to Wulingyuan it costs more than a taxi. What you are paying for is a driver who is already at the exit when you walk out, no address to explain, and someone who is still there if the train is late.
Arriving in the evening
Many of the long-distance trains get in late: G6062 from Guangzhou South at 20:52, G6152 from Guangzhou South at 22:16, G1369 from Shanghai Hongqiao at 21:55 and G3649 from Beijing West at 22:24. By then the coaches to Wulingyuan have stopped, so it is a taxi or our transfer. We meet evening trains as usual; arrivals after 22:00 carry a night surcharge of CNY 100.
How many trains come in, and from where
- Changsha: 42–44 direct trains a day, from 1 hour 45 minutes — see Changsha to Zhangjiajie.
- Guangzhou: about 12 direct trains a day, 5.5 to 6 hours; Shenzhen North: 3 a day, 6 to 6.5 hours — see Guangzhou and Shenzhen to Zhangjiajie.
- Hong Kong West Kowloon: 1 direct train a day, about 6.5 hours (G6080, calling at Shenzhen North and Guangzhou South).
- Shanghai Hongqiao: 2 a day, 7 to 9 hours — see Shanghai to Zhangjiajie.
- Beijing West: 1 a day, about 12 hours — see Beijing to Zhangjiajie.
- Chongqing and Chengdu: several direct trains a day via the Chongqing–Changsha line — see Chongqing to Zhangjiajie; Xi’an: 1 a day via Chongqing and Chengdu, about 10 hours — see Zhangjiajie and Xi’an.
Counts from the official 12306 system on 28 October 2026 for early November dates; weekend and holiday timetables add or remove a train or two.
Going on to Hehua Airport
Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport is on the other side of the city from the station. City bus route 4 links the two in about an hour and a half; a taxi or our transfer is much quicker. Our transfer to the airport is the same price as to the city. Everything about the airport itself is in our Hehua Airport arrival guide.
How to book our station transfer
- Send us your train number, the number of people and your hotel name on WhatsApp.
- The driver tracks the actual arrival time and waits at the exit; the first hour of waiting is free, then CNY 20 per hour.
- Prices per car, one way: 1–4 people in a car, CNY 100 to the city or CNY 200 to Wulingyuan; 5–6 people in a seven-seater, CNY 200 to the city or CNY 300 to Wulingyuan; seven or more, ask us. The old city station is the same price.
- You can book the transfer on its own; you do not need to book a tour with us.
Frequently asked questions
How many railway stations does Zhangjiajie have, and which one do high-speed trains use?
Two. All high-speed trains use Zhangjiajie West; the old Zhangjiajie Railway Station in the city handles the overnight conventional trains.
How far is Zhangjiajie West from Wulingyuan?
About 25 km, 30 to 40 minutes by car.
Is there a bus from Zhangjiajie West to Wulingyuan?
Yes. Coaches from the bus station beside Zhangjiajie West run to the Wulingyuan east gate for about CNY 13 (40 to 60 minutes) and to the Forest Park south gate for about CNY 12; the Wulingyuan coach passes through the station from about 06:00 to 19:20. There is nothing in the evening, so late arrivals take a taxi or book a transfer.
How do I get from Zhangjiajie West to the city centre?
A taxi or DiDi takes about 20 minutes (CNY 20–30), our transfer is CNY 100 per car, and city buses 6 and 17 take about an hour for CNY 2.
How does a foreign passenger get through the gates?
Your e-ticket is linked to your passport, so there is no paper ticket to collect; show the passport at the staffed channel on the way in and on the way out.
Can you still pick us up after 10 pm?
Yes. Arrivals after 22:00 carry a night surcharge of CNY 100 per car.
Tell us your train and we will be at the exit
Send your train number, how many of you there are and your hotel name. A real person here confirms the pickup the same day. If you have not chosen a hotel yet, our guide to where to stay in Zhangjiajie explains the city-versus-Wulingyuan choice, and our 3-day Zhangjiajie private tour starts with this pickup.
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