China's railways handled 4.13 billion passenger trips in the first 10 months of 2026, up 4.7 percent year-on-year and hitting a record high for the January-October period, according to China State Railway Group, the national railway operator.
An average of 11,670 passenger trains operated daily during the period, an increase of 5 percent from a year earlier, as railway authorities expanded capacity and adjusted services to meet growing travel demand.
On Oct 1, the first day of the National Day holiday, railways handled 25.2 million passenger trips and operated 14,885 trains, both setting single-day records.
Railway authorities also expanded tourism-oriented services, operating 3,236 tourist trains between January and October, including themed services featuring cultural attractions and scenic destinations. Another 1,084 special trains were arranged for sports events, concerts, exhibitions, and educational trips.
Cross-border rail travel also increased. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway handled 29.23 million cross-border passenger trips, up 11 percent year-on-year, while the China-Laos Railway recorded 289,000, an increase of 33 percent.
Foreign nationals made 22.52 million passenger trips on China's railways during the period, up 32.9 percent from a year earlier.
To improve the experience of passengers, railway authorities expanded quiet carriage services to more than 8,000 high-speed trains, while pet transport services became available at 170 stations and on 420 trains. A luggage delivery service was also extended to 212 stations.
