Chongqing to Chengdu by High-Speed Train (2026)

The route at a glance

Chongqing and Chengdu are only 308 km apart, but for a decade the train took half a day. The high-speed line collapsed that to about 1h 15m on the fastest G-trains, and now runs on the order of 143 trains a day each way from roughly 06:10 – 22:15. For a foreign visitor it is arguably the best short HSR experience in the country: cheap, frequent enough that you don’t need a reservation, and short enough to slot into any itinerary. Arriving into Chongqing from further afield first? See the Chongqing North station guide.

Map of the Chengdu East–Chongqing North high-speed rail corridor: 308 km from Chengdu East Railway Station to Chongqing North Railway Station, 1h 15m on the fastest G-train. — The 308 km Chongqing–Chengdu high-speed corridor — about 1h 15m on the fastest G-train.

The one decision: which Chengdu station

Chengdu has more than one high-speed station, and Chongqing–Chengdu trains split between them. Most terminate at Chengdu East, but a share use Chengdu South, several kilometres southwest — so match the station printed on your ticket:

Chengdu East 成都东站most trains

The city’s main terminal on the east side, on Metro Lines 2 & 7. The great majority of Chongqing–Chengdu G-trains arrive here, and it is the one the arrival times below assume. Metro Line 2 runs direct into the downtown core.

Chengdu South 成都南站also used

A smaller station southwest of the centre, on Metro Lines 1 & 7. A minority of trains terminate here instead — fine if that is what your ticket says, but it is nearer the Tianfu New Area than the old downtown, so don’t assume Chengdu East.

At the Chongqing end, most departures leave from Chongqing North 重庆北站 (Metro Lines 4 & 10), which has its own North Square (北广场) and South Square (南广场) about 15 minutes apart on foot — follow your ticket to the right square, as the metro entrances differ. Some trains leave from Chongqing West 重庆西站 (Metro Lines 5 & 12) instead, ~15 km across town, so confirm which station you are departing from before you set out. Full layout and onward transport are in the Chongqing North station guide and the Chengdu East station guide.

Classes and price

For a ride of about an hour and a quarter this is barely a decision, but:

Class	Price	Worth it?
Second classmost buy	¥85 – ¥191	Perfectly comfortable — what everyone buys for this leg.
First class	¥135 – ¥305	A 2+2 layout and more quiet — pleasant, not essential.
Business class	¥527 – ¥668	Skip it on this route; spend it on hot pot instead.

Day trip, or stay the night?

Chongqing → Chengdu is short enough to day-trip — leave Chongqing North around 8 AM, be in Chengdu by 9:30, and ride Metro Line 2 straight into the centre. But Chengdu rewards more than a day. The Chengdu Panda Base wants an early start, the Leshan Giant Buddha is a day trip of its own, and the city’s tea-house and hot-pot culture is half the reason to come. One or two nights beats a rushed turnaround — see where to stay in Chengdu or the full Chengdu city guide. If you do day-trip it, trains run until past 22:00, so the return rarely needs pre-booking on a weekday — pre-book on weekends and Chinese holidays.

The tea-house lanes of Kuanzhai Alley in Chengdu, lined with restored Qing-era courtyard buildings and lantern-lit shopfronts. — Kuanzhai Alley’s tea-house lanes — Chengdu rewards a slower visit than a single day allows, about 90 minutes from Chongqing by high-speed train.

How to book with a foreign passport

12306 English app — the official China Railway channel: face-value fares, no booking fee. The trade-off is hassle — passport registration must be approved before you can buy (often slow), and customer service is Chinese-first and limited if a booking goes wrong.

Trip.com ↗ — the same China Railway seats, booked in English with a foreign Visa or Mastercard, no verification wait and 24/7 multilingual support. Prices track 12306, and with new-customer promotions Trip often comes out level or cheaper. As China’s largest OTA you can also add hotels, attraction tickets and tours to the same trip. See the booking walkthrough.

Real-name rule — the name and passport number on the ticket must match what you present; e-tickets are scanned at the gate, no paper pickup needed.

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Arrived at Chengdu East — getting to your hotel

Chengdu East 成都东站 sits on the east side of the city, but it is wired straight into the metro — Metro Line 2 runs direct to Chunxi Road, Tianfu Square and on west across the centre, with Line 7 circling the core, so a downtown hotel is one ride away without a taxi. The DiDi pickup zone is signposted 网约车 at the station. Times below assume Chengdu East; if your train ended at Chengdu South, see the note under the table. Picking an area first? See where to stay in Chengdu.

City area	Metro	Taxi / DiDi
Tianfu Square 天府广场 (city centre)	Metro Line 2 direct → Tianfu Square (天府广场), A exit. ~20 min, ¥4.	¥28–38, ~29 min (9.9 km)
Chunxi Road 春熙路 (downtown shopping core)	Metro Line 2 direct → Chunxi Road (春熙路), C exit. ~16 min, ¥4.	¥28–38, ~30 min (10 km)
Kuanzhai Alley 宽窄巷子 (old town lanes)	Line 2 → People’s Park (人民公园), B exit, ~10-min walk. ~25 min, ¥4.	¥30–42, ~34 min (11.5 km)

Transit times and driving distances via Amap (高德地图) routing, checked 2026-06-20. All three areas are a direct ride on Metro Line 2 from Chengdu East. If your train terminates at Chengdu South 成都南站 instead, Metro Line 1 reaches Tianfu Square in about 19 minutes (¥3). Taxi ranges reflect off-peak meter fares; surge during weekday rush hours. Set up DiDi for foreigners for a fixed English fare.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Chongqing from Chengdu?

About 308 km (191 miles) across the Sichuan basin — close enough that the high-speed train takes only about 75 minutes.

How do I get from Chongqing to Chengdu?

By high-speed train. G-trains run Chongqing North to Chengdu East about 140 times a day, taking ~1h 15m, from ¥85 in second class — roughly one every 15 minutes. Book on the official 12306 app or on Trip.com, or simply walk up at the station.

Which station do Chongqing–Chengdu trains use?

Most depart Chongqing North (重庆北站) and arrive Chengdu East (成都东站), the main terminals at each end. Some trains use Chongqing West (重庆西站) or, in Chengdu, Chengdu South (成都南站) instead. Always match the stations printed on your ticket — they are kilometres apart.

Do I need to book Chongqing to Chengdu in advance?

No — with around 140 trains a day, same-day tickets are almost always available except on major Chinese holidays. Walk-up booking at the station works.

Can I do Chengdu as a day trip from Chongqing?

You can — leave Chongqing around 8 AM and be back by night — but Chengdu rewards an overnight. The panda base, the Leshan Giant Buddha and the city's tea-house culture are hard to fit into a single day. One or two nights is the better call.

Is it worth flying Chongqing to Chengdu?

No. The flight is about 50 minutes airport-to-airport, but both airports sit well outside their city centres. The train is faster door-to-door, around half the price, and runs every 15 minutes.

Verification scope

Route data — distance, journey time, fare bands and daily frequencies — is sampled from China’s national rail system and refreshed monthly. Chengdu metro lines and transit times are from Amap (高德地图) routing, checked 2026-06-20.

Confirm before booking: exact schedules and fares vary by train and season — check whether your train terminates at Chengdu East (成都东站) or Chengdu South (成都南站), and whether it leaves from Chongqing North (重庆北站) or Chongqing West (重庆西站), as the pairs are far apart.