Tianjin railway station

For Tianjin Metro Station, see Tianjinzhan station.

Tianjin 天津
Tianjin Station, south entrance
General information
Location	East Haihe Road Hedong District and Hebei District, Tianjin China
Coordinates	39°8′5″N117°12′11″E / 39.13472°N 117.20306°E / 39.13472; 117.20306
Operated by	CR Beijing
Line(s)	China Railway: Beijing–Shanghai Railway Tianjin–Shanhaiguan Railway China Railway High-Speed: Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway Tianjin–Qinhuangdao High-Speed Railway
Platforms	18 (8 island platforms and 2 side platforms)
Tracks	18
Connections	Tianjinzhan station Binhai Mass Transit Bus terminal
Other information
Station code	10157 (TMIS code) [1] TJP (telegraph code) TJI (Pinyin code)
Classification	Top Class station (特等站)
History
Opened	1888
Previous names	Laolongtou (Chinese :老龙头)
Key dates
1988	Rebuilt
2008	Expanded and renovated
Services
Preceding station China Railway High-speed Following station Wuqing towards Beijing South Beijing–Tianjin intercity railway Terminus Tianjin West Terminus Tianjin–Qinhuangdao high-speed railway Part of the Tianjin–Shenyang High-Speed Railway Junliangcheng North towards Qinhuangdao Preceding station China Railway Following station Langfang North towards Beijing Beijing–Shanghai railway Cangzhou towards Shanghai

Tianjin railway station (Chinese :天津站; pinyin :Tiānjīn Zhàn) is the principal railway station in Tianjin, China. It was established in 1888, rebuilt in 1987–1988, and restructured in 2007–2008. Its Chinese big title was written by Deng Xiaoping in 1988, for celebrating 100th anniversary of its founding. ^[2]

Since 1 August 2008, it serves as the terminus for high-speed trains to the city, including the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway, which can reach speeds above 350 km/h.

Historical development

Qing Dynasty period

A postcard during the Boxer Rebellion period showing German troops departing the "Old Dragon Head" railway station (老龍頭車站), the former name of the Nanjing Station.

In 1888, the Kaiping Tramway and Imperial Railways of North China was extended to Tianjin and was subsequently renamed as the Jintang Railway (津唐铁路) and became the first Train station completed in China at the time. Construction of the railroad had begun in 1886 and was situated near the Hai River. ^[3] In May 1891, a larger station was built 500 metres (1,640 ft 5 in) to the west and a civil structure contained a three-storey building.

A postcard in 1900 showing the Tianjin Station

In the Boxer Rebellion incident in June 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance besieged Tianjin and battled the Boxers in the black bamboo forest outside the British and French Concession. During the ten days of fighting, the "Old Dragon Head" railway station and other station buildings were also destroyed. By July 1900, the armies of the Eight-Nation Alliance occupied Tianjin and the east coast of the rail station became the occupied zone of the Russian army. By December that same year, the Russian Concession was opened and the rail station was now located within the boundaries of the concession. This was strongly opposed by the British and in the end, through the intermediation of Germany, the Russians eventually gave in. ^[4]

Republic of China period

The main station building, waiting room and station square of the Tianjin East Station (Today's Tianjin Station) as of January 1948.

After the Jinghu railway and Tianjin West Station was constructed in 1911, the "Old Tianjin Station" was renamed the Tianjin East Station, hence the Tianjin Railway was categorised into the North, East and West Stations. The Tianjin East Station later became the Jingha railway and intersected the Jinpu railway line. On 10 October 1930, The Tianjin East Station was listed among the international train stations at the time. ^[5] During the period from 1916 to 1946 the Tianjin East Station was approved by the Republic of China Ministry of Railways as a first-class station, and the principal station was upgraded in 1927.

People's Republic of China period

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China throughout the country in 1949, the Tianjin East Station was renamed the Tianjin Station and since then, successive inspections by the Ministry of Railways have classified it as a top grade station. In 1950, the Tianjin Station waiting rooms were expanded by more than 1,000 square meters (10,764 sq ft), and for thirty years there were no further large-scale expansion works undertaken.

After the Chinese economic reform, the burden of transportation on the Tianjin Station increasied due to the sharp increase in passenger traffic; the average daily number of passengers was 65,000. After receiving from the State Council and the Ministry of Railways, the Tianjin Municipal Government decided to expand the "Tianjin Railway Improvement Project" and this item was also included among the key projects in the national "Seventh Five-Year Plan". ^[6] Starting on 15 April 1987, thorough renovation work was conducted on the Tianjin railway station. New roofing was constructed on the original site of the old station house and also on the 66-metre-high (216 ft 6 in) cylindrical clock tower, face Hai River. ^[7] The construction work was completed on 25 September 1988. On the eve 1 October of that same year, which was the centenary of the establishment of the Tianjin Station, the then Minister of Railways Li Senmao (李茂森) cut the ribbon and officially opened the new station building of the Tianjin Station. ^[8] The new renovations had increased the Tianijn Station's daily receiving passenger capacity from 46 pairs to 95 pairs and was one of the most advanced modern railway stations in China at the time.

The Tianjin Station after further renovations in 2008.

As a co-host city of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in order to coordinate the hosting of the Games along with the construction of the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway and the Tianjin Underground Zhijing Line (天津地下直径线) as well as the introduction of the Jin-Qin Passenger Dedicated Line (津秦客运专线), Tianjin City launched the construction of the "Tianjin Station Traffic Junction". On 15 January, the Tianjin railway station closed for the first time since the last reconstruction in 1988. To ensure the project reconstruction could proceed smoothly, the Railway Station's passenger operations were temporarily halted and the bus station of Tianjin (known as the Tianjin Passenger Technology Station) was converted into the "Temporary Passenger Station in Tianjin Station" and was formally put into use as a temporary substitute for traffic. ^[9] At the same time, the majority of the Tianjin railway station's bus terminals were moved to the Yueya River train station (月牙河火车站).

Networks

Since 1 October 2012, the station has been connected to the Tianjin Metro network, with Line 2, Line 3, and Line 9 intersecting at the station.

Station house structure

The station waiting room

Tianjin railway station platform

At present, the Tianjin railway station includes the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway and the North station railway. The elevated waiting room, underground pit room, high platform canopy, passenger tunnel, and line package channels have a total construction area of 185,000 square meters (1,991,323 sq ft), of which the newly built North station house comprises 71,000 square meters (764,238 sq ft), the South Station house has 33,000 square meters (355,209 sq ft) and the canopy has 81,000 square meters (871,877 sq ft). The elevated waiting room is 22,000 square meters (236,806 sq ft) and can accommodate 6,000 passengers. ^[10] The office is located in the basement of the underground pit and has a construction area of 12,400 square meters (133,472 sq ft).

Dome mural

Ceiling of the south entrance hall.

In the spring of 1988, Li Ruihuan, then the Tianjin mayor, inspired by the Sistine Chapel ceiling during his visit to Italy, ordered to paint a similar dome mural for the entrance hall of the station. It took four months to complete the mural before 1 October, the National Day of 1988, by old painter Qin Zheng (秦征) and his students. The subject of the mural is "Jingwei Tries to Fill the Sea", in a Baroque style depiction of a figure in Chinese mythology. Jingwei was depicted as a naked woman with two wings and long hair, which broke the taboo concerning nudity for the first time after the Cultural Revolution. It was once the biggest dome mural in China. In order to protect the oil painting, Tianjin Railway station became the China's first public place to forbid smoking. ^{[11] [12]}

Underground passageways

The exit underpass below the platforms

A network of underground passageways exist under the station, providing exit points for passengers from mainline platforms and connecting to the Tianjin Metro which has a transfer hub between its three lines below the station. ^[13]

Station scenery

• 
  The Jin Tower situated across the Hai River.
• 
  The Tianjin Century Clock in front of the Tianjin Railway Station Square.
• 
  St. Regis Tianjin

Layout of the ticket window

Beijing-Tianjin inter-city tickets.

Inside the Train Station, there are 62 manual ticket windows, including 23 Ticket vending machines of the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway and 65 sets of automatic entry and exit gates. ^[14]

Tianjin South station house ticket office [15]	Tianjin North station house ticket office	Beijing-Tianjin inter-city self-service ticket vending machines
Window #1: Ticket Access Barrier Window #2: Duty Director Window #3: Refund window Windows #4 to 20, 24 to 30: General Ticket Booth Window #21: Ticket Offering platform Window #22: Inquiry Area Window #23: Signature Transit	Window #1: Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city Signatory Windows #2 to 6: General Ticket booths Window #7, 14: Ticket Access Barrier Windows #8 to 13: Beijing-Tianjin inter-city ticketing	South station ticket house: 7 sets South station stop hall: 4 sets North station houses: 5 sets each

See also

• Transport in Tianjin
• Tianjin West railway station

Notes and references

1. 中华人民共和国铁路车站代码（GB/T 10302-2010） (in Chinese (China)). 中国标准出版社. 2010. p. 2. ISBN   155066140495.
2. "1988年3月22日：邓小平为天津站建站一百周年的题名". 中国共产党新闻网. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
3. Map of Tianjin's Growth: The century-old station turned into a gorgeous train station (天津成長地圖：百年『老龍頭』火車站華麗變身)
4. 孙瑞芹：《德国外交文件有关中国交涉史料选译》第2卷，商务印书馆1960年版，第288页
5. The History of Urban Transportation Changes: Tianjin's century-old railway station
6. Tianjin Station Reconstruction integrates Beijing and Tianjin closer by half an hour(天津站改建綜合樞紐 半小時拉近京津) Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
7. The Participation Officers inspecting the Passenger Station during that year tells the old story of the Tianjin Station (当年参建人员参观新客站　讲述老天津站故事) Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
8. Illustrations of Historical Changes to the century-old Tianjin Railway Station (天津站百年老站旧貌换新颜 图说历史变迁)
9. The Tianjin Station is one of the largest temporary passenger station renovation projects put into operation (天津站规模最大改造工程启动 临时客站投入运营) Archived 1 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
10. Tianjin Railway Station Introductory (天津站介绍) Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
11. 王文治 (14 August 2011). "《精卫填海》与天津站禁烟". 今晚报. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
12. 孙福海 (31 March 2010). "嘛叫天津人的真格的——话说著名油画家秦征". 天津文艺界. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
13. The quest for a rail transfer center in Tianjin Station's underground subway intersection (天津站轨道换乘中心探秘 地下4层交会3条地铁)
14. Tianjin Tourism Bureau: An Introduction to visiting the Tianjin High Speed Rail Station (天津市旅游局：乘高铁·逛津城之天津站介绍) Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
15. Tianjin Railway Station Passenger Service Guide (天津站旅客服务指南) Archived 18 September 2012 at archive.today

External links

• Tianjin Railway Station Official site
• Tianjin Train Schedule Time Table