Brief introduction on air, railway, taxi and subway of Shannxi province

Shaanxi has a convenient and safety integrated transportation system.

In 2005, turnover of passenger and freight traffic with varied transportation means is 172.3688billion ton-km. Of which, railway finished 145.983 billion ton-km, highway finished 25.446billion ton-km and civil aviation finished 0.904 billion ton-km.

Airplane

 

Xi’an Xianyang International Airport is the important aviation hinge in the western China. It has more than 120 domestic and international flight lines. It has contacted with near 30 airline companies including New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, Frankfurt, Vancouver, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. In 2005, freight volume was 39,000 tons and passenger traffic was 3.8953 million person-times.

Xi’an’s airport is located 50 km (about 31 miles) northwest of downtown Xi’an in Xianyang, a neighboring city. Ranked as the fourth most frequented airport in China, Xianyang International Airport (XIY) is home to 68 domestic daily flights from almost every major Chinese destination. From Jiuzhaigou, Ningbo, Zhengzhou and Lianyungang, etc. to Xi’an there are newly opened domestic routes. International airlines from 10 Asian cities such as Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have well-established services with XIY. In 2005, there opened 7 new international airline routs from Germany, France, Britain, America and Canada via transfers in Beijing. In 2006, other 8 international airline routs from Europe, America and Asian are opening via transfers in Shanghai. International air connections with Hong Kong and Macao are also available depending on the airline schedule. Presently, with a total of 25 international air routes, Xi’an has become the city with most international connections in Western China.

There are shuttle buses between the airport and the urban area with a 25 Yuan admission fee per person. Alternatively, at a price of 100-120 Yuan the journey can be made by taxi. Both of these two options are very convenient to passengers, you can choose the one that you like and fits your plan or schedule.

Train

In 2005, total mileage of railway in Shaanxi was more than 4,300 km, freight volume was 201 million tons and passenger traffic was 37.3696 million peron-times. Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi, is one of six largest hinges of railway passenger transport in China. Through developing sea-railway combined transportation with Shanghai, Qingdao, Tianjing and other harbors, outbound goods of Shaanxi could be directly exported after one-off customs clearance and commodities inspection in Xi’an.

With a reputation as ‘the Gateway to the West’, Xi’an Railway Station is one of the most pivotal terminals of the domestic railway system. It is the key junction between the southwest and the northwest, and forms a connecting link between the east and the west of China.

The station lies in the north urban area, so it will take you about half an hour by car from the downtown area. Buses traveling to the railway station can be found on every main street, and will only cost you 1 or 2 Yuan. If you choose to travel by taxi, the fare should be less than 10 Yuan (from the city center).

Purchasing train tickets can be troublesome for foreigners, as the ticket windows are usually crowded and have few English-speaking staff. One solution to such a problem is to ask for the ticket-booking service at any star rated hotel, who will offer their assistance for a nominal service charge. You had better buy train tickets one week in advance of travel, especially during the peak travel seasons.

Taxi

Shaanxi construction Traffic mileage was over 50,000 km and mileage of expressway was 1,300 km in 2005. At present, expressway runs through Shaanxi and expressway Xi’an-Baotou was open to traffic. Centered on Xi’an, expressway network of Shaanxi, taking national main trunk line and great path of west China as framework, connecting with 10 cities in Shaanxi and striking towards outside Shaanxi, has taken shape. In 2005, freight volume was 235 million tons and passenger traffi c was 336 million person-times.

The highway transportation to Xi’an extends in all direction. Long-distance buses commute between Xi’an and many large cities, covering 18 provinces and over 300 cities and counties. The Xi’an long-distance bus line terminal, which has been ranked as the highest class station in the whole nation, lies to the southwest of the railway station. People usually buy bus tickets on the same day of travel. Generally speaking, though the price is much more economical, foreigners are not encouraged to take the long-distance buses due to general hardship and fatigue. If at all possible, the plane and train are better choices.

Subway

The Xi’an Metro, also known as Xi'an Subway, is a metro system in the city of Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi province in China. Xi’an began its metro system plan in the mid-1980s. The plan was first submitted to the State Council in 1994, with four planned lines and a total length of 73.2 km (45.5 mi). In February 2004, the re-drafted plan was submitted to the State Government, which received final approval on September 13, 2006.

Line 2 began construction on 29 September 2006, and Line 1 started on October 30, 2008. Line 3 began construction on May of 2011.Three other routes are planned to start in 2011 and is expected to finish around 2020. When completed, the system will span 251.8 km (156.5 mi) and will mainly service the urban and suburban districts of Xi’an and part of Xianyang.

Xi’an Metro has three lines in operation: Line 2 opened to the public on September 16, 2011. Line 1 began operation on September 15, 2013. Line 3 opened to the public on November 8, 2016.