China's railways handle a record 3.32b passenger trips in first eight months

China's railways handled a record 3.32 billion passenger trips in the first eight months of 2026, up 3.9 percent year-on-year, China State Railway Group, the national railway operator, said on Saturday.

An average of 11,508 passenger trains were operated each day during the period, an increase of 5 percent from a year earlier, as railway authorities adjusted services in response to travel demand.

Cross-border rail travel recorded particularly strong growth. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway handled 23.41 million cross-border passenger trips from January to August, up 10.7 percent year-on-year, while cross-border trips via the China-Laos Railway rose 39.1 percent to 245,000.

China's rail network also handled 16.68 million trips by foreign passengers during the eight-month period, an increase of 33.3 percent year-on-year, amid growing inbound travel and the country's expanded visa-free transit policies, the group said.

Railway authorities have also expanded services aimed at tourism and other travel demand. A total of 2,501 tourist trains were operated during the period, while an additional 812 trains were arranged for passengers traveling to concerts, sporting events and other activities.

Meanwhile, new passenger services have been introduced or expanded, including quiet carriages, pet transport services and luggage collection and delivery.

The railway operator said it will continue to adjust capacity in line with passenger flows and prepare for increased travel demand during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday period.