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The Hard sleeper (, abbreviated YW), is a 
The differences between hard and
passenger railway
Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas:
Rapid transit
A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed (~) and rapid acceleratio ...
compartment class in the People's Republic of China. Hard sleeper is a class on most Z-series, T-series express trains and K-series rapid trains. They are the cheapest type of sleepers on chinese trains.
The differences between hard and soft sleeper
The soft sleeper (), abbreviated RW or WR (CRH), is a passenger railway compartment class in the People's Republic of China. Soft sleeper is the main class on most Z-series express trains, and are grouped in several carriages as part of slower ...
compartments are as follows:
* 6 bunks instead of 4 (3 on each side)
* No door (some type have)
* No blind on the window (but there are curtains)
* Less comfortable bedding, e.g. only one pillow
* No TV screen
The bunks have a length of 180 cm (71 inches) and a width of 60 cm (24 inches). The head space for passengers on the upper and middle bunk is limited, with the middle bunk having 70 cm (28 inches) and the upper bunk having 65 cm (26 inches) of head space.
In addition, the carriage has only Chinese style toilet at each end whereas the soft sleepers may have a Western style toilet at one end.
Despite its name, the bunks are padded, only less than soft sleepers. Like soft sleepers they have a table, hot water and a rubbish bin. The lower bunk (下) is the roomiest followed by the middle bunk (中). The upper bunk (上) not only has the least room, but one has to be relatively agile to climb up to it. The upper bunk is slightly cheaper than the lower and middle bunk due to its limited space.
Newer trains have power sockets for laptops and mobiles.
Shortly after the trip starts, the carriage official will come around and exchange tickets for berth tokens. Tickets will be returned before arrival at the destination.
References
{{China Railway travel classes Passenger rail transport in China