Up to 3b trips expected during China's Spring Festival travel rush

BEIJING — About 2.98 billion trips are expected to be made during the 2018 Spring Festival travel rush between February 1 and March 12, China's top economic planner said Monday.

The figure is basically flat with that of last year, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement.

The number of road trips is projected to reach 2.48 billion, a 1.6-percent decrease from last year, while train trips are likely to top 389 million during the period, up 8.8 percent year on year, the statement said.

Air travel will likely top 65 million trips, surging 10 percent from last year, while boat trips are predicted to reach 46 million during the period, up 4 percent year on year, according to the NDRC.

Transportation authorities are prepared for the travel rush, as hundreds of millions of Chinese go back to their hometowns or travel around the country, putting huge pressure on the transportation system.

The Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb 16 this year. The festival is the most important occasion for family reunions.