A look at the development of railway stations in China

Harbin - Standing in front of a bustling train station in Harbin, capital of China's Heilongjiang Province, veteran architect Li Lili (43) vividly remembers how crowded and chaotic the station was 20 years ago.

"A giant, gray concrete building filled with deafening shouts and disoriented travelers: that was my first impression of the province's largest train station," Li said.

As Li walked through the crowded concrete structure, Li never imagined herself becoming a designer and helping to innovate these stations.

Over her career, many of China's train stations have evolved from mere gateways for passengers to modern, multifunctional transportation complexes, transforming the travel experience.

"For a long time, traveling by train in China was a reckless choice for many people, with constant crowds at station entrances and on platforms," ​​Li said.

Li explained that in the past, because railways were mainly built for cargo trains, many passenger stations were merely supporting facilities, without guidance, diversions and other essential services for passengers.

Things started to change in 2008. The advent of high-speed rail significantly reduced train travel time, leading to a rapid increase in travel demand and the development of new-generation railway stations.

Li noted that many railway stations seized the opportunity to improve their services for passenger convenience.

"An example is the widely accepted elevated railways in renovated or newly built stations, which connect platforms from above," Li said,

adding that this innovation greatly reduced the number of intersections of passenger routes within the station, avoiding congestion and helping travelers reach their trains more easily and quickly.

Another change in train station design involves the integration of local culture. “This trend has been accompanied by the further expansion of China’s high-speed rail network and the rise of personalized travel since around 2016,” Li said.

He said that both tourists and local governments now expect train stations to serve as urban landmarks, rather than mere gateways, showcasing the unique characteristics of travel destinations.

“The iconic skyline of Harbin train station was renovated in 2018. I incorporated European-style elements into the redesign of the train station in Mudanjiang City, highlighting its unique history of cultural fusion,” Li said.

As an architect, Li has been involved in the design of more than 100 train stations over his decades-long career, and is constantly reshaping train stations for the next generation.

“As more and more people embrace new modes of travel such as experiential tourism and city tourism, train stations are becoming subcenters of cities. In some cities, such as Hangzhou and Chongqing, train stations are now integrated with accommodation, entertainment and urban transportation,” he said.