China logs over 2b trips during National Day holiday surge

China handled more than 2 billion trips during the just concluded National Day holiday, the Ministry of Transport said Tuesday, with the daily average number of trips reaching 286 million, a 3.9 percent increase year-on-year.

The holiday, which ran from Oct 1 to Monday, saw significant increases in travel via railways and civil aviation.

Railways reported 131.25 million passenger trips, averaging 18.75 million trips per day, a 6.3 percent rise compared to last year. Civil aviation saw a similar surge, with 16.1 million passenger trips during the holiday period, or 2.3 million per day, marking an 11.1 percent year-on-year increase.

Local authorities implemented various measures to manage the heavy traffic and ensure smooth, safe travel. In major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, additional metro services were operated on Sunday and Monday to handle the influx of passengers at transportation hubs. Shenzhen, in Guangdong province, ran overnight bus services to accommodate late arrivals at Shenzhen North Railway Station.

Railway departments also worked to improve the travel experience for passengers. In Jiangxi province, Yingtan and Yingtan North railway stations introduced self-service express cabinets, allowing travelers to mail items prohibited on trains. In both Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, several stations set up lost-and-found areas and offered delivery services for reclaiming lost items.