Danxia from x'ian T269?

Question

Hello all, I would absolutely love to visit danxia landscape but I'm a bit worried that the train I'm looking at on trip might not actually exist because I can't find any other mention of it in this forum. My overall route for this portion of the trip is x'ian -> danxia -> Beijing. I've planned a sleeper train from x'ian leaving at 22.00pm, arriving in zhangye at 11.31am the next day. Train is the T269. Can anyone confirm this train does exist? I'll then plan my day in area with sunset viewing of daxia and head out next day zhangye 10am train - lanzhou [arrive 12.27] and fly at 3pm to Beijing. Does that all sound doable? It's probably very rushed but it's the only way I can squeeze it in! Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer

Good questions — here’s a detailed look at whether your planned train leg with T269 from Xi’an to Zhangye West (for visiting the Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park) and then onward to Beijing is workable, along with its constraints.

Does train T269 exist?

Yes — multiple sources list train number T269 departing Xi’an around 22:00 and arriving at Zhangye West around 11:31 +1 day (about 13h 31m) for the normal-speed train service.
That said: T269 also appears in sources as a long-haul service that continues beyond Zhangye (ultimately to Kashgar) spanning multiple days.
Therefore, while the segment Xi’an → Zhangye West at 22:00 → 11:31 +1 is valid, you must check the specific date and departure station (Xi’an “Xi’an” vs “Xi’an North”) and that the arrival station is indeed “Zhangye West” rather than just “Zhangye”, as the park is accessed via Zhangye area.

Is your proposed itinerary feasible (Xi’an → Zhangye for the Danxia, then Zhangye → Lanzhou → fly to Beijing)?

> You wrote: “…sleeper train from Xi’an leaving at 22.00, arriving in Zhangye at 11.31am next day. Then sunset Danxia visit. Then next day Zhangye 10am train → Lanzhou … arrive 12.27 and fly 3pm to Beijing.”

Yes, if the train is confirmed, arriving at 11:31 gives you the afternoon in Zhangye for Danxia viewpoint(s) — this is viable if you plan well and use local transport immediately after arrival.
However, a very tight itinerary: Arriving mid-morning means you will need to get from Zhangye West station to the Danxia park zone quickly, allow time for ticketing, shuttle bus (common within the park), viewpoint hike or walk, and then be ready for a next-day departure at 10:00 onward. Ensure your accommodation and transport logistics are pre-booked.
Your next leg (Zhangye → Lanzhou → flight to Beijing) is quite ambitious: you must ensure the train you pick indeed departs ~10:00 from Zhangye (or hopefully Zhangye West) and reaches Lanzhou with enough buffer before your flight at 15:00. Any delay could risk missing the flight.

Key cautions and suggestions:

Double-check your train ticket: departure station (Xi’an vs Xi’an North) and arrival station (Zhangye West) — “Zhangye West” is the correct station for accessing Zhangye Danxia. Some sources show “Zhangye” (older station) which may be further.
Check for any permit / special access for Danxia park: in high-season it can get busy, especially for sunset viewing. You might need to pre-book tickets or transport inside the park.
For the next morning: ensure your train to Lanzhou is confirmed, provides good arrival time (with buffer for airport departure procedures). Consider staying overnight in Zhangye so you’re not rushed.
Because the itinerary is “probably very rushed” as you note, you may want to either allocate more than one night at Zhangye or use a slower rail/train + buffer so you reduce risk of missing onward connections.

Conclusion:

Yes — the T269 train in the time-slot you mention does appear to exist for Xi’an → Zhangye West on the date shown. Your Danxia visit with the arrival time is technically achievable. However, the onward connection (next-day 10:00 train → Lanzhou → flight to Beijing) leaves very little margin for error and would be quite tight. If everything goes smoothly, it works — but expect that any delay or logistic hiccup could derail the plan.

If I were advising, I’d recommend either staying two nights at Zhangye (arrive 11:31, overnight, next morning depart) or selecting a slightly later flight/earlier train on the next leg to build in more buffer time.

Danxia from x'ian T269?

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