Lanzhou is one of the most important railway hubs in northwest China, positioned where routes from central China meet lines toward Qinghai, Xinjiang, Ningxia, and the Hexi Corridor. The city has two main passenger stations: Lanzhou West Railway Station for most high-speed services and Lanzhou Railway Station for many conventional long-distance trains. China Railway runs the national services serving the city, with operations managed locally by China Railway Lanzhou Group.
Trains from Lanzhou include G-series and D-series high-speed trains, C-series intercity services, and conventional Z, T, and K trains for longer overnight or daytime trips. Lanzhou West Railway Station handles most bullet train departures on the high-speed network, while Lanzhou Railway Station remains important for regular long-distance rail and selected regional services. Rail service also links the city with Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport through the Lanzhou-Zhongchuan Airport intercity railway.
Rail routes from Lanzhou run east toward Xi'an, Zhengzhou, and Beijing, west toward Zhangye, Jiayuguan, and Urumqi, south toward Chengdu and Chongqing, and northwest toward Xining and the Qinghai-Tibet rail corridor. Book trains from and to Lanzhou online at Rail Monsters.