China's railways to see surge in return trips as holiday nears end

BEIJING - China's railway operator is expecting a surge in return trips on Sunday as the week-long National Day holiday draws to a close.

On Sunday, 18.73 million train trips are expected, with more than 1,400 additional trains scheduled to meet the growing travel demand, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

The operator said that the railway network is experiencing a peak in return travel, with a sharp rise in long-distance trips. For six consecutive days since the holiday rush began, daily passenger numbers have surpassed 17 million, reflecting the sustained high demand during this period.

As of 9 am Sunday, 155 million tickets had been sold through China's official railway ticket-booking website, 12306.cn, and its mobile app, during the "golden week" travel period.

To accommodate the surge, railway authorities across the country have added extra trains on popular routes and boosted capacity to ensure smooth travel. Local stations have also enhanced services by optimizing entry and exit processes, ensuring safe and orderly returns of the passengers.

China's railway network is expected to handle 175 million passenger trips during the 10-day National Day holiday travel rush from Sept 29 to Oct 8.