Zibo is on the high-speed rail line between Jinan and Qingdao, well served with trains in both directions throughout the day. Journey time to Jinan is about 35 minutes; to Qingdao about 80 minutes. From Beijing, the fastest services take about two hours via Jinan. Zibo's main high-speed station (Zibo Railway Station) is in the Zhangdian district.
The city's sprawling geography means that reaching specific districts from the station involves further travel by bus, metro (Zibo opened its metro system in recent years), or taxi. The barbecue area around Eight Road Bridge is easily reached from the main station; Linzi and Zhoucun require 30–40 minutes additional travel.