rki.news
Source: Xinhua
Beijing – China’s railway network has handled 258 million passenger journeys since the start of the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, as the annual peak travel period passed its halfway mark, the national railway operator said Sunday.
On February 21, the 20th day of the 40-day travel season, about 17.19 million trips were recorded, according to China State Railway Group. Passenger demand was expected to remain strong on February 22, with an estimated 17.93 million journeys. To accommodate the surge, authorities scheduled 2,203 additional passenger trains.
Railway authorities have expanded capacity on major routes, strengthened station and onboard services, and introduced measures to improve safety, efficiency, and passenger comfort during the busy period.
This year’s Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, fell on February 17. The associated travel rush—known as chunyun—is widely regarded as the world’s largest annual human migration, as hundreds of millions travel nationwide for family reunions and holiday visits.
The 40-day travel season runs from February 2 to March 13, with rail remaining one of China’s primary long-distance transport modes. Authorities expect sustained high passenger flows in the remaining weeks of the holiday travel period.