Update: China expects record-high passenger trips during 2026 Spring Festival travel rush

BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Inter-regional passenger trips across China during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, also known as chunyun, are expected to reach a record high of 9.5 billion, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said Thursday.

Self-driving trips will continue to dominate, accounting for about 80 percent of total travel, said Li Chunlin, deputy head of the NDRC, at a press conference.

Railway and civil aviation passenger volumes are projected to reach 540 million and 95 million, respectively, with both the overall scale and peak daily traffic expected to surpass historical levels, Li said. The 40-day travel rush will run from Feb. 2 to March 13.

To meet surging demand, the railway sector has expanded capacity under a new train operation schedule, with more than 14,000 passenger trains expected to run nationwide on peak days and seating capacity rising 5.3 percent year on year.

Civil aviation travel is also set to grow steadily, said Xu Qing, director of the transport department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Winter tourism in northern regions and trips to warmer southern destinations are expected to be major travel highlights, with civil aviation passenger traffic forecast to grow about 5.3 percent year on year.

Airlines and airports are encouraged to improve services for elderly and family travelers and streamline procedures for transporting winter sports equipment, Xu said. Airports serving popular ice-and-snow destinations are enhancing support for flights crossing sharp north-south temperature differences, including adding changing areas and offering cold-weather clothing rental and sales.

China is strengthening transport services for the growing number of self-driving travelers during the holiday period, said Gao Bo, an official with the Ministry of Transport.

By the end of 2025, China's new energy vehicle fleet had reached 43.97 million, including 12.93 million newly registered vehicles during the year. The rapid growth, particularly of battery-electric cars, has increased demand for charging services along expressways, Gao said.

In recent years, transport authorities have continued to expand expressway charging networks. By the end of 2025, service areas nationwide had been equipped with 71,500 EV chargers, including 20,000 added last year, Gao said.

China has also stepped up safety and emergency preparedness for the travel rush, said Shen Zhanli, an official with the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Authorities are intensifying inspections at accident-prone road sections and high-risk areas, including bridges and tunnels, roads along rivers or cliffs, steep slopes, and stretches frequently affected by dense fog.

Emergency supplies have been fully stocked, and snow-removal and de-icing equipment have been deployed in key regions. More than 40,000 emergency rescue personnel, supported by 3,900 sets of equipment, have been pre-positioned to ensure rapid response to severe winter weather, Shen said.

Each year during this period, millions of people working, studying or living away from their hometowns travel home for the Spring Festival, China's most important traditional holiday, forming the world's largest annual human migration. ■