Shanghai Hongqiao Station, why is it said that Shanghai Hongqiao High-speed Railway Station is the best high-speed railway station in China?

Personally, Shanghai Hongqiao Station is the best high-speed rail station in China

Due to work, I have been to almost all major high-speed rail stations in China. From a purely personal experience, the best one is undoubtedly Shanghai Hongqiao Station. Other excellent ones include Nanjing South Railway Station, Guangzhou South Railway Station, Shenzhen North Railway Station, and Shenzhen Futian Station. The ones with good experience include Hangzhou East Railway Station, Zhengzhou East Railway Station, Xi'an North Railway Station, Hefei South Railway Station, Changsha South Railway Station, Wuhan Railway Station, Chengdu East Railway Station, Chongqing North Railway Station, and Kunming South Railway Station have a general impression. Beijing South Railway Station, Chongqing West Railway Station, and Tianjin South Railway Station have left a bad impression. stand. Other Xiamen North Railway Station, Dalian North Railway Station, Nanning East Railway Station, Guiyang North Railway Station, etc. are not bad, but have small passenger flow, so I won’t comment on them one by one.

Let’s focus on the best Shanghai Hongqiao Station and why it ranks first.

Shanghai Hongqiao Station Waiting Hall

First of all, Hongqiao Station has very good accessibility and is very close to the city. You can drive into the station via elevated lines from the north and south. There are currently three subways, and two more are under construction. Second, the building area of ??Hongqiao Station is not the largest, but the effective waiting area in the station is large, the station hall is relatively high, and the lighting is good, so there is no feeling of depression at all. At the same time, the facilities in the station are also well maintained and do not feel shabby. The restrooms, waiting area, dining area, and shopping area all look comfortable. There are also specialty stores such as the affordable luxury brand Coach in the station, which feels like an airport. It should be the only high-speed rail station in China. Third, the area around the station is very prosperous. In just ten years, the Hongqiao business district has been very prosperous. There are several large shopping malls. It only takes about ten minutes to walk. There is everything you need to eat, drink and have fun inside and outside the station. There is also a unique advantage. You can change to a plane within ten minutes of walking? It is so convenient.

Let’s talk about a few excellent little details. One is that you don’t need to go through security when you exit Shanghai Hongqiao Station and transfer to the subway. You can go directly to the subway. This not only saves time, but also makes it convenient for people with large and small bags to get off the high-speed rail and transfer to the subway. Unlike other high-speed rail stations in China, where queuing to enter the subway can easily create a chaotic feeling. Second, the four corners of the restaurant on the second floor of Hongqiao Station have escalators right next to each other for easy access. Unlike many stations where there is only one up and down, or the upper and lower escalators are far apart, it is very inconvenient to carry a suitcase to eat. Third, there are many ticket machines in the waiting area inside the station, at the entrance to taxis or subways outside the station, and in the underground space when exiting the station. It is extremely convenient to get tickets, and there is basically no need to queue up. Unlike many high-speed rail stations, there are very few ticket machines in the station, or there are basically no exits. It's inconvenient if you forget to pick up your ticket. Fourth, there are so many escalators inside and outside the station that are rarely repaired, unlike some high-speed rail stations where various escalators are broken or inoperable all year round, making it extremely miserable for passengers carrying suitcases.

Another point is the feeling of the special period of the epidemic. Due to work, I started traveling in February 2020. At that time, there were basically not many people at high-speed rail stations across the country, and it was still the time when the epidemic was at its worst. At the exits of many high-speed rail stations, because they are not familiar with applying for health codes, many people crowded at the exits, causing great risks. It was simply speechless. At Shanghai Hongqiao Station, there is almost no need to show the health code very early. In order to avoid congestion, tickets are not checked and the ticket gate is opened directly. Such open management requires courage, confidence, and the confidence of scientific management.

The only bad thing about Hongqiao Station is that the taxi area is too narrow, with only three lanes, and you often have to queue for more than an hour. Nanjing South Railway Station and Guangzhou South Railway Station are very good in this regard, but Hangzhou East Railway Station only has two lanes, so basically taking a taxi is really a nightmare. Fortunately, now that there are online ride-hailing services, this problem can be considered half solved. After all, there are still many people who only take taxis, and the queues are still very long. Since the design did not expect so many people taking taxis, this cannot be changed.

Let me tell you a few words about my personal feelings about some other major high-speed rail stations in China.

Wuhan Railway Station, Chongqing North Railway Station, West Railway Station, and Chengdu East Railway Station are so confident that they don’t know there is a gap at all and feel that they are already very good; Hangzhou East Railway Station knows there is a gap and can see that they have been working hard and are different from the city of Hangzhou. It’s the same as a city. It suddenly develops too fast and is not fully ready to become a first-tier metropolis. The style of Beijing South Railway Station (including Beijing West Railway Station and Beijing Railway Station) is to be loved by everyone and has no intention of changing it. If you don’t think it’s good, you can just don’t come. , it’s best not to feel that way [face covering]