China's railways see surging passenger trips during Tomb Sweeping Day holiday

BEIJING - China's railways are expected to see an increase in passenger flows during the three-day Tomb Sweeping Day holiday from Saturday to Monday.

April 2 saw approximately 11.8 million railway trips, setting a single-day record for this year, according to the China State Railway Group Co Ltd.

A peak of more than 14 million passenger trips in a single day is expected on April 3, the first day of the three-day holiday, said the CSRC.

The latest data also show that airlines handled nearly 1.54 million passenger trips in China on April 3, a jump of 369.2 percent compared to the first day of the holiday last year.

Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, falls on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese holiday during which people pay tribute to deceased family members. Many also spend the holiday traveling.