Like his previous film, Uniform, Night Train takes place in Diao's home province of Shaanxi and was shot in and around Baoji.

Lonely and widowed, Wu finds herself taking the night train to a dating service in a neighboring city.

After a series of unsuccessful dates, she meets Li Jun (Qi Dao), with whom she begins a relationship.

It soon becomes clear that Li Jun is hiding a secret: that he is the widower of one of Wu's executed prisoners.

Li Jun is torn both by his attraction to Wu, but also his desire to exact some sort of vengeance.