Transportation in Harbin

By air
Harbin Taiping International Airport (formerly known as Yanjiagang Airport) is located about 35 km away from city center. It is the second largest northernmost airport of China and its terminal building (along with Shenyang-Taoxian Airport) is currently one of the largest in northeastern China.

The airport has 75 air routes & flights to over thirty large cities including Beijing, Tianjing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Qingdao, Wenzhou, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Dalian, Xi'an and Hong Kong. In addition there are also scheduled international flights between Harbin and USA, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea.

Transfers Between city and Airport
1) From Airport to Harbin
Shuffle service is available for flights arriving at anytime daily. The bus is alongside the exit on the first floor.

2) From Harbin to Airport
The shuttle bus journey takes 50 mins and operates half hourly from 6:00 am to 6:30 pm. The route starts from Minhang Building and drive directly to the airport. People can take NO.2, 3, 21, 22, 68, 69, 82, 103, 108, 111 and 115 bus and get down at Swan Stop (Tiane Stop) to get there.


By Train
Harbin is the second largest railway terminal hub in Northeast China, only after Shenyang. Harbin Railway-Bureau is the first one of highest railway density in China. Five conventional rail lines radiate from Harbin to: Beijing (Jingha Line), Suifenhe (Binsui Line), Manzhouli (Binzhou Line), Beian (Binbei Line) and Lalin (Labin Line). In addition, Harbin has a high-speed rail line linking Dalian.

Harbin has two railway stations. Harbin Railway Station located in the city center plays a role as transfer station. Harbin Eastern Railway Station serves trains departing and arriving Harbin. People can take NO.6 bus for transfer between the two station.

In 2009, construction began on the new Harbin West Railway Station with 18 platforms, located on the southwestern outskirts of the city.
In December 2012, the station was opened, as China unveiled its first high-speed rail running through regions with extremely low winter temperatures. with scheduled runs from Harbin to Dalian. The weather-proof CRH380B bullet trains serving the line can accommodate temperatures from minus 40 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius above zero.

The new Harbin West Railway Station, opened in 2012
The city's main railway stations are the Harbin Railway Station, which was first built in 1899 and expanded in 1989; the Harbin East Railway Station, which opened in 1934; and the Harbin West Railway Station, which was built into the city's high-speed railway station in 2012. As of 26 January 2013, Harbin Railway Station had 202 trains arriving daily, Harbin West had 70 trains and Harbin East had 60.

Direct passenger train service is available from Harbin Railway Station to large cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Jinan, Nanjing and many other major cities in China. According to 2011 statistics, Harbin Railway Station's person flow volume has reached 27,898,500 person-time, ranking fifth in China after Beijing West, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

Beijing-Harbin Train Ticket Tips:
Trains listed above operate on daily basis. Train timetable is specified in GMT+8 Beijing China time zone and ticket price is quoted in RMB Yuan.


Subway
Construction of Harbin Subway started on 5 December 2006. The total investment for the first phase is RMB5.89 billion. Twenty stations will be set on this 17.73 km (11.02 mi) long line starting from Harbin East Railway Station to the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in the west of the city. A subway depot, a command center and two transformer substations will be built along the line. Most of the subway's route follows the air defence evacuation tunnel left from the "7381" Project which started in 1973 and ended in 1979. The 7381 project was intended to protect Harbin from the former Soviet Union's possible invasion or nuclear attack.
 

By Bus
There are Nangang Bus Station and Jiaohua Station near the railway station.  
Harbin has an advanced system of highways. Food and other products are shipped on these roads. There are seven important highways which pass through or terminate in Harbin, including the Beijing-Harbin, the Heihe-Dalian, the Harbin–Tong River, Changchun-Harbin, and the Manzhouli–Suifen River highways.
A part of the newly inaugurated 15-km long Yangmingtan Bridge spanning the Songhua River collapsed on 24 August 2012, killing three.
China National Highway 221

Tips: It is not advisable to take long-distance bus in winter for the inadequate heating and less comfort.


By sea
Located in Daowai district, Harbin Harbor is one of the eight important inland harbors. Destinations available via ships are Russia, North Korea, South Korea and some other cities of China. The running time of ship is from mid-April to the first half of November.  

Ports and waterways: There are more than 1,900 rivers in Heilongjiang, including the Songhua River, Heilong River and Wusuli River, creating a convenient system of waterway transportation. Harbin harbor is one of eight inland ports in China and the largest of its type in Northeast China. Available from mid-April until the beginning of November, passenger ships sail from Harbin up the Songhua River to Qiqihar, or downstream to Jiamusi, Tongjiang, and Khabarovsk in Russia.