K503-504 diesel motor unit. They are scheduled to run every day. Jitong has three units.
Trains to Xilinhaote are diesel hauled (DF4D).
Trains 605x DF4 Jining Nan to Baiqi, steam Baiqi to Chabuga, diesel Chabuga to Tongliao. They run daily.
The service on board the trains
As a passenger you may expect the following services on board the trains.
Ticket checking is done when you enter the train. If you have a sleeping
ticket, he conductor will collect your ticket, give you a card as a receipt,
and wake you up about 30 minutes before you need to get off. Otherwise you
may not be reminded yo have to get off, but as a foreigner, the conductor
will probably remember you anyway.
Every car has a boiler for hot water. If you have a bottle or cup, you
may brew your own tea. The hot water also comes handy for instant soups,
which are sold at stations and in the trains.
For the toilets you need to bring your own paper, as in other trains in
China.
As always, the exit door are locked by the conductors. When trying to
get off, observe which door the conductor will open.
The diesel motor unit trains (K503/504)
Food service is provided by a little kiosk in one of the YZ (hard seat)
cars. They sell soda, beer and liquor. They also sell a selection of different
snacks and instant soups. If you order a warm meal just after departure from Huhehaote, you get one served after Benhong. They sometimes
go through the train with a trolley service. You may also buy food from people
at the station platforms.
If you want to sit in the soft seat car and got no ticket in the station,
the conductors will sell you one.
Stations are announced by the conductors, and by an electronic communication
system located at the end of every car. However, the English (Chinglish) announcement
on the panel is not always up to date and easy to understand.
The steam trains (605x)
The trains consist of 8 cars: 1 hard seat car for Jitong railway employees, running eastmost in the trains, 2 hard sleepers,
1 dining car, 4 hard seat cars.
Food service is provided by the dining car crew. They serve meals at certain
fixed times, but you may ask for a meal at any time of the day (maybe not
all night). They also sell snacks and warm food through their trolley service.
At stations with longer stops, there are people on the platform selling
food. The dining car sells all kinds of drinks.
You can open most of the windows. In winter the windows may be closed
and you need a conductor key to open them. Often, the door on the gangway
at the end of the train is open, so you may stand there and look back along
the rails.
The cars are warmed up by coal fired ovens located in the end of every
car (even in the new type 25 cars they have from summer 2001). This is done
in, what the railway defines as, winter time, typically October to March.
There is no air conditioning in summer, but you may open up your window.
About sleeping accomodation
All trains have sleepers. They change the bed clothes at the depot. For the 605x trains this is Daban, for the diesel express it is at Zhelimu (Tongliao). Be aware that bed clothes are not changed on the way. The conductor will just fold them after you used the bed. This means if you use sleeping accomodation later, you may well have used bed clothes.
If you have no ticket for sleeper and want one, you go to the dining car and ask there. Normally the chief conductor has places available for sale. Be aware there is a minimum charge. This means that short distance sleeper tickets are relatively expensive.
