Read the train row before following the gate area arrows. Camera date 18 September 2026. This is a historical display.
The big signs are easy to spot: 6A–7A to the left, 6B–7B to the right. Between them, a smaller screen lists trains, times and destinations. Above it, another sign points towards 5B.
Which one should you follow? Before choosing an arrow, find your train’s row. This photograph contains most of the clues you need, once you know which details belong together.
Start with the train number
Look for 车次, meaning train number, and match it with your issued booking. Check the travel date and departure station in your booking too, especially when a city has more than one railway station.
The 终到站 column gives the train’s terminal station. Your own stop may come earlier, so the destination on the board can differ from the arrival station you booked. Searching only for your destination can leave you looking past the correct train. Start with the train number, then check the rest of that row.
Read across before following the arrows
On the central board, 实际开点 gives the departure time, 检票口 the check-in gate, and 状态 the current status.
Keep your eye on the same row as you read across. A nearby gate number may belong to the train immediately above or below yours. The large 6A–7A and 6B–7B signs point towards groups of gates; the smaller entry in your train’s row tells you which specific gate to find.
A check-in gate is also different from a platform. 检票口 is where boarding access is checked; 站台 means platform. A gate labelled 6B does not, by itself, tell you to look for platform 6. Follow the onward signs and staff directions after passing through the correct gate.
Read the status words
Three useful phrases appear on this board:
正在候车: waiting; check-in has not opened.
正在检票: check-in is open.
停止检票: check-in has closed.
Read the wording rather than relying on a colour you remember from another station. Recheck the live display as your departure approaches. The photograph shows one moment, not an instruction for your journey.
Do not treat the departure time as your deadline to reach the gate. China Railway says ticket checking stops before departure and directs passengers to station announcements for the timing. Leave room for security, queues and the walk to your gate. [1]
Keep the booking passport ready
If you booked with your passport, carry that same original, valid passport. Official guidance allows automatic or manual ticket gates; ask staff which lane to use if needed. A saved itinerary helps you find the train number, but does not replace the identity document used for the booking. [2]
Once you have found the matching row, the board becomes much simpler: check the time, find the named gate and watch the status there.
Sources checked 31 October 2026