China's summer railway travel rush concludes with 954 million passenger trips

China's 62-day summer railway travel rush concluded on Monday, with the national network handling 954 million passenger trips and operating an average of 11,623 passenger trains daily, the China State Railway Group reported on Tuesday.

The annual peak travel period, running from July 1 to Aug 31, also saw national railways transport 680 million metric tons of freight. Passenger services were adjusted based on data from the railway's 12306 ticketing platform, including ticket sales and wait-list requests. Additional capacity from newly opened railway sections helped meet demand during the busiest travel periods and on popular routes.

By 7 am, Chengdu East Railway Station in Sichuan province was already bustling. High-speed trains bound for neighboring Chongqing departed at intervals of five to ten minutes during peak hours.

"Getting to Chongqing now feels as easy as heading to the park around the corner. It takes just over an hour," said Chengdu resident Zhang Weimin, who was traveling with his child for a boat trip through the Three Gorges.

According to China Railway Chengdu Group, an average of 195 high-speed trains ran between Chengdu and Chongqing each day during the summer travel rush, with the fastest trip taking just 63 minutes.

Beyond adding capacity, railway operators introduced services tailored to tourist demand and major events. Nationwide, 699 tourist train services ran during the period, including 415 special tourist trains and 284 services on designated tourist routes, according to China State Railway Group.

Another 351 tailor-made train services were arranged for people traveling to concerts, sporting events, exhibitions, and performances. One such service carried 528 soccer fans aboard the C5132 train from Zhangzhou to Yong'an South in Fujian province on July 18 for an away match in the Fujian provincial city soccer league, known locally as Min Chao.

"It's my first time taking a special train to a match," said passenger Lin Yuexin. "Staff guided us all the way from the station entrance to the platform, and there was even a dedicated photo wall and signs for fans. It feels great to make the trip with so many people who share the same passion."

The summer rush also saw growth in cross-border passenger traffic. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link handled 6.27 million cross-border passenger trips, up 3.3 percent year-on-year, while the China-Laos Railway recorded 56,000 such trips, an increase of 55.8 percent.

Foreign passengers took nearly 4.45 million train trips across China, up 32.2 percent from the same period last year. The operator introduced measures to accommodate growing demand following the expansion of China's visa-free transit policies.

In addition to managing heavy passenger traffic, railways sold 25.38 million discounted student tickets during the period. Multi-ride passes and periodic tickets were available on 78 routes. Selected services were offered for passengers traveling with pets or bicycles, as well as those requiring luggage pickup and delivery.

Passenger-focused measures were complemented by efforts to keep essential goods moving during the busy summer period. National railways transported 224 million metric tons of coal for power generation, maintaining coal stocks equivalent to more than 20 days of consumption at 375 power plants supplied directly by rail. Priority was also given to grain, fertilizer, and disaster-relief supplies.

Supporting these parallel passenger and freight operations is a railway network that, by the end of 2025, spanned 165,000 kilometers, including more than 50,000 km of high-speed rail. Under current plans, the network is expected to reach about 180,000 km by 2030, including around 60,000 km of high-speed rail.