if you are a foreigner living in harbin from last 2 years.and first time want to come harbin from beijing or tianjin it will better for you to take a D numbered train. its the fastest with 160 km it will take only 8 hours from beijing to reach harbin and from tianjin only 9 hours.tickets should be around 280 yuan for both tianjin and beijing. this trains are clean and with a very good environment.everything i am telling you is from personal experience. if you want to know anything about harbin from the foreigners living in harbin you can post your question in forum. this is a site to help foreigners in any need in harbin.if you are looking for a tour guide or a good hotel in harbin you can try this site also.i am living in Harbin for 2 years. and if you have any more question about harbin let me know through harbinexpats.net