Yumen Railway Station

Station name and what to look for

Match the Chinese characters on your ticket to the characters above. English translations of Chinese station names vary between booking sites, but the Chinese name is the same everywhere.

About the station

Yumen is a small station on the corridor between Jiayuguan and Dunhuang, serving a town built around one of China’s oldest oilfields. It is not a tourist destination in the usual sense, but it appears on itineraries because it is the closest rail access to the Yadan landform and the old oil-town ruins that some travellers come to see.

The high-speed line bypasses this station, so services here are conventional. Trains are infrequent compared with the main corridor cities, and the timetable rewards planning rather than turning up.

Facilities are basic: a waiting hall, a ticket window and not much else. Bring what you need.

Getting to and from Yumen

The station is some distance from the newer town centre, and taxis are limited. Arrange a pickup through your accommodation if you are arriving late.

Onward connections go east toward Jiayuguan and west toward Dunhuang, but not on every train — check the specific service rather than assuming a daily pattern.

What catches travellers out here

• Yumen has an old town and a new town, and the old oil-town site is a separate location again. Be specific about which you mean when you arrange transport.
• Because services are sparse, a missed train here can cost you a whole day. Build in slack.

Other station guides in Gansu

Before you travel

Tickets are issued against your passport and there is no paper ticket to collect for most domestic services. Read the booking guide if this is your first Chinese train, or the seat class guide if you are choosing between a hard sleeper and a soft sleeper. For the station itself, the general station guide explains how gates and boarding work at any Chinese station.