In short
Zhengzhou East, code ZAF, is the city’s high-speed hub, and it is where most people who land at Zhengzhou and then catch a train actually want to go — not Zhengzhou station downtown. The first choice is the intercity train: Xinzheng Airport station sits on level B2 of the Terminal 2 ground transport centre, about five to ten minutes down from arrivals behind the intercity rail signs, with no step outside. It runs bus-style, with 41 pairs of trains a day between Zhengzhou East and the airport averaging one every 22 minutes and as little as 8 minutes apart at the tightest, covering the trip in fifteen to seventeen minutes for ¥12 second class. One wrinkle worth knowing: the guide board inside the terminal quotes the fare as either ¥12 or ¥13 and some third-party fare sites show ¥14, so this page states ¥12 and defers to 12306. There are two versions of the first train as well — the guide board says 07:27 towards Zhengzhou East and a last train at 22:57, while the Henan rail investment group’s release gives 07:05 towards Zhengzhou generally, the same 22:57 last departure and an eighteen-minute average headway. Both figures stay here rather than one being forced to win. Three backups exist. The airport express coach to Zhengzhou East costs ¥20 and terminates at stand 3 of the south bus area on the station ground floor, boarding from stands 2 to 4 outside Door 2 on Level 1 of T2; its weakness is that the airport publishes no timetable beyond departures as posted, so ring 0371-68519508 between 09:00 and 24:00 or 0371-68516511 between 00:00 and 09:00 before relying on it. Second, a taxi or ride-hailing car from the south and north sides of the GTC Level 2 corridor takes about thirty to forty minutes on the meter plus the expressway toll, with a ¥2 supplement between 22:00 and 05:00. Third, the metro can reach the station with changes between the Chengjiao line and city routes, but the metro publishes no journey time for that combination and this page quotes none — it is much slower and only worth weighing once options one and two have gone. If you are in a hurry the test is simple: whenever your train leaves more than forty minutes from now, the intercity train stays the safer side of the bet.
- Intercity journey time
- About 15–17 min
- Intercity fare, second class
- ¥12 (also quoted as ¥13 or ¥14; check 12306)
- Frequency
- 41 pairs a day, about every 22 min, tightest 8 min
- First and last train towards Zhengzhou East
- 07:27 / 22:57 (guide board)
- Alternative first-train figure
- 07:05 towards Zhengzhou (Henan rail operator)
- Walking time to the platform
- About 5–10 min, all indoors
- Dedicated platforms
- Platforms 1 and 3 at Xinzheng Airport station
- Express coach fare
- ¥20, no fixed first or last departure
- Taxi journey time
- About 30–40 min
- Zhengzhou East station code
- ZAF (used when booking, not the name)
How to take each option
Taking the intercity train to Zhengzhou East
Time About 15–17 minFare ¥12 second classFirst 07:27Last 22:57
- After baggage claim stay on the Terminal 2 arrivals level and follow the intercity rail signs down to the B1 concourse of the transport centre — five to ten minutes on foot, entirely indoors.
- Read the departure boards for a train towards Zhengzhou East, watching for through trains that terminate elsewhere, so you do not board one bound for Zhengzhou station instead.
- Buy your ticket at the counter or a machine, or in advance on 12306; bus-style services generally do not allocate seats, though follow whatever the station announces that day.
- Wait on platforms 1 or 3, the ones dedicated to intercity trains, and ride fifteen to seventeen minutes to Zhengzhou East for ¥12 second class.
- Follow the transfer and departure signs up to the waiting hall, remembering that security and boarding time still await you — allow at least forty minutes if you are catching a train.
The last departure is 22:57, and a badly delayed flight beyond that leaves only taxis. Fares are quoted inconsistently, with ¥12 or ¥13 on the guide board and ¥14 on some third-party sites, so this page says ¥12 and points you to 12306 for what you actually pay.
Taking the airport express coach to Zhengzhou East
Time Journey time not publishedFare ¥20
- Go back up to Level 1 of Terminal 2 and out through Door 2, where the city express lines leave from stands 2 to 4.
- Buy your ¥20 ticket at the counter marked for Zhengzhou East Railway Station; the coach sets down at stand 3 of the south bus area on the station ground floor.
- The airport publishes no fixed times for this line beyond departures as posted, so check by phone first: 0371-68519508 between 09:00 and 24:00, or 0371-68516511 between 00:00 and 09:00.
It buys a little convenience over the train — bags never meet an escalator — but nothing like the same certainty. The 09:30 to 19:00 hours circulating on some encyclopaedia site are unconfirmed, are not reproduced here, and should not shape your plan.
Taxi or ride-hailing
Time About 30–40 minFare Metered plus expressway toll
- Follow the signs up to the Level 2 corridor of the transport centre: turn left for taxis and right for ride-hailing.
- Show the driver the Chinese characters for Zhengzhou East Railway Station and say you want the meter to the high-speed station.
- Pay the metered figure plus the expressway toll, adding the ¥2 supplement between 22:00 and 05:00, and take the receipt.
A taxi cannot give you certainty, and evening traffic on the airport expressway stretches the ride badly. With a train to catch, the intercity service is the safer side, which is why it leads this page.
When you have a lot of luggage
- Escalators and lifts run the whole way from arrivals to the intercity platform in five to ten minutes, so even two big suitcases are manageable.
- At Zhengzhou East there are lifts from the arrival level up to the waiting hall, so you never have to wrestle bags onto an escalator.
- If that is still too much, take the ¥20 coach instead: it leaves you at ground level outside the station rather than two levels down.
The metro treats heavy luggage worst of all: no official journey time and multiple changes. With big bags, choose between the intercity train and the coach.
Late-night and early-morning arrivals
The hard edge here is the last intercity train at 22:57. After it only taxis and ride-hailing remain, both around the clock at thirty to forty minutes, with the ¥2 supplement between 22:00 and 05:00. Whether a coach to Zhengzhou East is waiting depends entirely on the day, since no timetable exists. Watch the other end too: the first intercity departure is 07:27, or 07:05 on the operator’s figures, so an international arrival between six and seven in the morning cannot wait — take a taxi.
Questions travellers ask
What is the fastest way from Zhengzhou airport to Zhengzhou East?
The intercity train, at fifteen to seventeen minutes and ¥12. It leaves from level B2 of the Terminal 2 transport centre, five to ten minutes from arrivals, and drops you inside the high-speed station. A taxi needs thirty to forty minutes and depends on traffic.
How much is the intercity train from Zhengzhou airport to Zhengzhou East?
¥12 for second class or standing, with published prices also list business class at ¥36 and first class at ¥19. The guide board says ¥12 or ¥13 and some third-party sites ¥14, so what you pay comes from 12306.
How often does it run?
Zhengzhou East sees 41 pairs of trains a day to the airport, averaging one every 22 minutes and never less than 8 minutes apart; the Henan rail operator also quotes an eighteen-minute average. Service spans roughly seven in the morning to the last train at 22:57.
Is there a high-speed train directly inside Zhengzhou airport?
Yes. Xinzheng Airport station is a real railway station, code EZF, with the concourse on level B1 and platforms on level B2 of the transport centre. Beyond the two intercity lines it takes through C- and G-series trains, reaching Zhengzhou station, Zhengzhou East, Songcheng in Kaifeng and Jiaozuo directly.
How much is a taxi from Zhengzhou airport to Zhengzhou East?
No official price exists for this pair, only the tariff: ¥10 for the first 3 km, ¥2 per km after that, a 50% empty-run surcharge beyond 12 km on a one-way trip, ¥2 per trip between 22:00 and 05:00, plus the airport expressway toll the passenger pays. The ride takes about thirty to forty minutes.
Is there a bus from Zhengzhou airport straight to Zhengzhou East?
Yes, the Zhengzhou East express line costs ¥20 and terminates at stand 3 of the south bus area on the station ground floor, boarding from stands 2 to 4 outside Door 2 on Level 1 of T2. Its drawback is that no timetable is published, only departures as posted.
I land at 6 am for an early train — will I make it?
Not on the train: the first departure towards Zhengzhou East is 07:27, or 07:05 on the operator’s figures, so a 6 am landing faces an hour’s wait and a taxi at thirty to forty minutes is the sensible answer. Conversely, any train after nine leaves you plenty of room on the first intercity service.
Are Zhengzhou East and Zhengzhou Aviation Hub the same station?
No, all three are different places. Xinzheng Airport station sits inside the airport transport centre, Zhengzhou Aviation Hub is about nine minutes away on the airport-to-hub line, and Zhengzhou East fifteen to seventeen minutes on the other intercity line. Check the codes when booking: ZAF for Zhengzhou East, ZIF for Zhengzhou Aviation Hub.
How manageable is this with luggage?
Escalators and lifts run from arrivals to the intercity platform in five to ten minutes without stepping outside, and that is the best thing about this airport. At Zhengzhou East lifts lead from the arrival level to the waiting hall, so no hauling bags up escalators.
Where can I go on from Zhengzhou East?
Zhengzhou East is a national hub: Beijing West to the north, Xuzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai Hongqiao to the east, Xi’an North to the west, and Wuhan and Guangzhou South down the line. Ride the intercity train in from the airport, then book the onward leg here.