Record-Breaking Inter-Regional Travel During China's Spring Festival Holiday

On Friday, more than 304 million inter-regional passenger trips took place across China, highlighting the significant travel activity during the Spring Festival holiday, which is a time traditionally marked by family reunions. This figure is notable as it represents the first day in the current travel rush, known as chunyun, when daily inter-regional trips surpassed the 300 million mark.

Road travel saw a year-on-year increase of 6.9 percent, totaling approximately 288.44 million trips. Meanwhile, journeys taken by rail and air also demonstrated growth, with increases of 5.3 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively. Looking forward, projections indicate that by 2025, an astonishing 9 billion trips will be expected during chunyun, which runs from January 14 to February 22, with this year's Spring Festival occurring on January 29.

Road trips are anticipated to constitute around 80 percent of all inter-regional travel, with many individuals using new energy vehicles (NEVs). The convenience of various charging facilities along China's highways has made it easier for NEVs to travel long distances. Additionally, railway authorities have ramped up capacities on high-traffic routes and improved services at stations and onboard trains to better accommodate the increased passenger volume during this busy travel period, as reported by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.