Xichang is now on the Chengdu-Kunming high-speed rail line, a significant change from the previous reliance on slow trains or buses. High-speed services from Chengdu take about two and a half hours; from Kunming, about two hours. The station is east of the city and served by taxis and local buses.
Xichang Qingshan Airport handles flights from Chengdu and Kunming as well as some connections to other Sichuan cities. Buses from Chengdu take six to seven hours via the expressway and are still used by those who prefer the scenery or miss the rail. The city's position as the Yi cultural and administrative capital of Liangshan Prefecture makes it a logical regional hub for the southern Sichuan highlands.