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Four railway stations serve different parts of Chongqing
Chongqing North sits north of the central peninsula and has the most direct rail connection to Jiangbei Airport. Chongqing West is the large southwest hub, Chongqing East is the new gateway for Wulong and southeastern Chongqing, and Shapingba places selected Chengdu services beneath the Three Gorges Square commercial district.
The ticket may show 重庆北, 重庆西, 重庆东, or 沙坪坝. Treat that complete Chinese name as the destination for maps and ride bookings, then match the station's metro line, entrance, floor, and pickup zone. A transfer between different railway stations is a journey through the city rather than an internal station connection.
North and South Squares now belong to one railway station
Chongqing North Railway Station lies on the northern side of the central city. The south station building opened in 2006, and a later north building created two distinct passenger areas. A major reconstruction from 2019 to 2021 joined them through an elevated waiting hall and an underground city passage. Today, both sides enter one integrated railway hub.
The national-rail booking says Chongqing North (重庆北). The city rail map keeps two station names: Chongqing North Railway Station North Square (重庆北站北广场) and South Square (重庆北站南广场). They are two urban transport interfaces for the same railway station. Once inside, use the 12306 order, departure board, and ticket gate for the waiting area.
The South Square facade now leads into the integrated waiting system; its sign identifies both the railway hub and this city-side entrance.
Each side has a different group of city rail lines
Line 10 serves both North Square and South Square and runs north to Jiangbei Airport T3. It places the airport and the two sides of the railway hub on one corridor.
Line 4 also serves North Square. South Square additionally connects with Line 3 and the Loop Line: Line 3 links northern central districts such as Guanyinqiao, while the Loop Line reaches Shapingba, Chongqing West, and districts on the south bank. For Jiefangbei and Hongya Cave, Line 10 can connect with Line 2 at Zengjiayan or Line 1 at Qixinggang. The final exit should match the road level of the hotel or attraction.
Live displays turn the large rail yard into a specific route
The integrated station covers many platforms. Confirm the train number, departure time, ticket gate, and platform in sequence. Older rules that assigned entire train categories to one square no longer describe the current integrated operation.
International passengers should carry the original passport used for the booking. If the automatic gate cannot read it, use the staffed identity lane beside the ticket gates. Chongqing West, Chongqing East, and Shapingba are separate railway stations, so a ride or connecting ticket should include the complete Chinese station name.
The station sign, train number, and platform display confirm the boarding location; North and South Square describe the approach to the hub.
Choose the city exit around the next transport mode
Arrival signs divide passengers toward North Square, South Square, the metro, buses, taxis, and ride-hailing. A prepared metro route can be matched before leaving the railway area. For a car, use the app's current pickup zone and the corresponding station signs. The internal connection between the two sides also supports a change of onward transport within the station.
A southwest railway gateway formed in 2018
Chongqing West Railway Station opened in 2018 on Fengzhong Road in Shapingba District. It brought major southwestern routes, including the Chongqing-Guiyang corridor, into a new hub on the southwest side of the city. Other westbound and southbound trains also use the station according to the current timetable. Because Chongqing has several large railway stations, confirm “重庆西” together with the date and train number.
The building spreads beneath a broad curved roof, with road approaches on several sides. For a departure ride, include Chongqing West, the entrance or drop-off platform, and the train number rather than sending only the centre point of the building.
The station extends across the rail yard, while road entrances and the underground city-transport hub complete the arrival sequence.
Three underground levels organise the city connection
The completed transport hub combines railway, metro, buses, long-distance coaches, taxis, ride-hailing, and private vehicles. Its published layout places ride-hailing on B1, taxis and the metro concourse on B2, and the Line 5 and Loop Line platforms on B3. Operating zones may be adjusted, but the signed vertical division between transport modes is the stable way to navigate the station.
Rail arrivals can follow Metro signs into the concourse. Line 5 and the Loop Line offer a cross-platform interchange at Chongqing West. The Loop Line connects Shapingba, Chongqing North South Square, and districts around the circular route; Line 5 reaches Shipingqiao and western and southern corridors. Yuzhong destinations such as Jiefangbei and Hongya Cave normally involve an additional interchange into Lines 1, 2, or another central route.
The departure board organises the elevated waiting hall
Inside the railway area, use the train number, departure time, and ticket gate. The platform display and carriage-position marks complete the route after the gate opens. Several types of train may occupy the large yard at once.
Platform number, train service, and carriage position organise boarding within the large railway yard.
Carry the original passport used for the booking and use a staffed identity lane if necessary. For a rail connection, confirm whether the next train also departs from Chongqing West; Chongqing North, Chongqing East, and Shapingba require a city transfer and a new station entry.
Vehicle pickups use separate underground zones
Taxis and ride-hailing cars use different levels and waiting areas. On arrival, match the Taxi or Online Car-hailing signs with the pickup point in the app; floor, zone, and plate number complete the meeting instructions. For a trip to the station, use its complete Chinese name and the departure entrance, since Chongqing's layered roads can approach the same building at different heights.
Chongqing's newest railway gateway faces the southeast
Chongqing East Railway Station opened on 27 June 2025 in the Chayuan area of Nan'an, together with the Chongqing East-Qianjiang section of the Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed railway. Trains from here serve stations including Nanchuan North, Wulong South, Pengshui West, and Qianjiang, creating a clear railway departure point for southeastern Chongqing and western Hunan.
The station building covers about 120,000 square metres and the rail yard has 15 platforms and 29 tracks. Its design theme, “a thousand li of mountains and water, towering huangjue trees,” brings Chongqing's hills, rivers, and characteristic ficus trees into the roofline and interior structure. The current 12306 order still determines the actual train and stop pattern.
“Railway Entrance 4 (5F South)” combines entrance number, floor, and direction—the complete reference for a drop-off at a four-sided station.
Four-sided entry meets roads at different elevations
The station uses entrances on four sides, with national rail, metro, buses, taxis, and ride-hailing linked inside the transport complex. Chongqing's terrain brings approach roads to different levels, so include the entrance number, north or south side, and floor in a ride order. Station signs then lead through security to the waiting level and assigned gate.
International passengers should carry the original passport used to buy the ticket. Use the staffed identity lane when an automatic device cannot read it. As a new hub, bus and vehicle zones can evolve with operating arrangements; current station signs and the pickup app provide the final location.
The Line 6 East section connects with the main line at Liujiaping
The current metro connection is the Line 6 East section. Trains run from Chongqing East through Taohuaqiao and Baileyuan to Liujiaping, where passengers make a cross-platform transfer to the main Line 6 service. The onward line reaches Shangxinjie, Xiaoshizi, Grand Theater, Hongtudi, and other central interchanges.
For Jiefangbei, Hongya Cave, or Chaotianmen, Xiaoshizi is one useful entry to Yuzhong Peninsula. Hotels in Nan'an may align with Shangxinjie or another south-bank connection. Check the current operating hours for both the East section and the onward line.
A Wulong journey continues from Wulong South to the scenic area
The high-speed railway connects Chongqing East with Wulong South. Public transport from Wulong South serves Wulong town and major scenic areas, but the railway arrival and the attraction entrance remain separate stages. Check the day's local connection for the Three Natural Bridges, Fairy Mountain, or another chosen site, and confirm rail and attraction bookings independently.
This Chongqing East–Wulong South–scenic-area chain is a distinctive reason to use the new station. If the current 12306 train departs from Chongqing North or Chongqing West instead, follow the actual station in the order.
National-rail platforms sit below Three Gorges Square and its towers
Shapingba Railway Station lies beneath Three Gorges Square on the western side of central Chongqing. After the old station closed for reconstruction, the new transport hub opened in 2018 with five platforms and seven tracks underground. Towers, commercial spaces, streets, and public squares occupy the levels above. National rail became one layer of an active city centre rather than a station precinct separated from it.
At street level, entrances for Shapingba Station can appear alongside shopping centres, metro signs, and the pedestrian system of Three Gorges Square. Follow Railway or High-speed Rail signs and the 12306 gate information for a national-rail train; follow Line 1, Line 9, or Loop Line signs for the city network.
National rail, metro entrances, Three Gorges Square, and towers share one site, creating the station's characteristic vertical city interface.
Three metro lines meet in an underground interchange hall
Line 1, Line 9, and the Loop Line connect within the paid area. Line 1 and Line 9 meet the interchange hall on the same level; signs for the Loop Line lead down one level. Line 1 runs west toward Ciqikou and east through Daping, Qixinggang, Xiaoshizi, and Chaotianmen. Line 9 reaches Guanyinqiao and Jiangbeicheng, while the Loop Line connects Chongqing West, Chongqing North South Square, and south-bank districts.
For a stay around Shapingba or Three Gorges Square, the three-line combination creates direct access from national rail into the city network. Ciqikou lies on Line 1. Jiefangbei and Hongya Cave can be approached through Xiaoshizi or another central interchange, followed by the exit that matches the destination's road elevation.
Selected Chengdu trains create a railway entrance inside the city centre
Shapingba connects with the Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway, and selected Chongqing–Chengdu services call here. When the ticket shows Shapingba (沙坪坝), the journey begins or ends directly in the western central district. A ticket showing Chongqing North or Chongqing West belongs to that separate hub. Current calls are determined by the 12306 timetable.
The national-rail platforms are entirely underground. Platform number, train service, and carriage position provide the final boarding references. Carry the original passport used for the booking and use the staffed identity lane when needed.
The underground platforms retain the full national-rail boarding system beneath the commercial district above.
The exit opens into a western central-city district
Three Gorges Square surrounds the station with shops, restaurants, streets, and nearby Shaping Park. A railway arrival can continue directly into local accommodation and the commercial district. Line 1 then links this modern centre with the older riverside streets of Ciqikou, while each place keeps its own visit and return plan.
