China's railways handle 258 mln passenger trips since start of 2026 Spring Festival rush

BEIJING -- China's railways have witnessed 258 million passenger trips so far during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush this year, as the travel period passed its halfway mark, the national railway operator said on Sunday.

On Feb 21, the 20th day of the 2026 Spring Festival travel season, about 17.19 million passenger trips were recorded, according to China State Railway Group Co Ltd.

The operator expected the passenger volume to remain high on Sunday, with an estimated 17.93 million trips. A total of 2,203 additional passenger trains have been scheduled to meet surging demand.

Railway authorities have increased transport capacity on major routes, enhanced services at stations and onboard trains, and taken further measures to improve the travel experience.

The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, fell on Feb 17 this year. This travel surge, also referred to as chunyun, is often described as the world's largest annual human migration. The 40-day travel period runs from Feb 2 to March 13 this year.