China's rail network preps for travel rush

China's railway network is expected to see a travel rush in the coming 11 days, as many people intend to return to their hometown or visit tourist attractions during the National Day holiday, according to the country's railway operator.

A total of 108 million train trips are expected to be made during the travel rush from Monday through Oct 8, with a daily average of about 9.82 million trips, China State Railway Group said on Monday.

The company noted the peak of train transport is expected to be registered on Oct 1 -- the first day of the National Day holiday, with 13 million passenger trips. The figure will hit a record high for daily railway passenger trips after the outbreak.

The country's tourism industry has seen a vibrant recovery amid effective COVID-19 epidemic control, the company said, adding the robust travel demand is fueled by this year's longer holiday as Mid-Autumn Festival overlaps with the week-long National Day holiday.

The company will give full play to the newly operational high-speed rail routes and scale up efforts to enhance transport capacity to deal with the rush, as well as improve services, it said.

To serve rising demand, 9,500 trains will be put into operation every day, an addition of 1,200 trains compared to a normal period, it added.