Rail services expanded to meet May Day holiday travel surge

China's railway operator will launch a peak operation schedule featuring additional services, including overnight high-speed trains, to accommodate surging demand during the upcoming May Day holiday travel rush, China State Railway Group said on Wednesday.

The travel period will run from April 29 to May 6, with ticket sales opening on Wednesday. The five-day public holiday falls between May 1 to 5.

Passenger flows are expected to remain high, driven by strong demand for family visits, tourism and spring outings, the company said.

Under the plan, the railway network will run an average of about 13,000 passenger trains per day. Capacity will be adjusted dynamically based on real-time booking data from the 12306 ticketing platform.

Overnight high-speed trains will be arranged for major routes such as Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou and Beijing-Harbin during peak travel windows, while additional high-speed sleeper trains will operate on key long-distance routes linking cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Kunming.

Ticketing services have been further optimized with features such as waitlist booking and seat selection. Ticket allocation will be adjusted in real time to better match demand, while additional support is being provided for elderly and student travelers.

Authorities said popular routes and peak travel periods may see ticket shortages. Additional services will be arranged where possible, with newly released tickets prioritized for passengers on waitlists.