Nation gears up for Spring Festival rush

With cross-regional trips expected to hit 9.5 billion, China is preparing for what could be the largest Spring Festival travel rush in history — a massive migration that not only reunites families but also puts the country's transportation system to the test.

According to Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, this year's 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun, will start on Monday and end on March 13.

Self-driving trips are expected to remain dominant, accounting for roughly 80 percent of journeys, while railway and civil aviation passenger volumes are forecast to reach 540 million and 95 million, respectively, and overall travel as well as single-day peaks are likely to surpass previous records.

"The Spring Festival travel coordination is a massive operation involving more than 20 government departments," Li said.

"Our goal is to make sure people can get home for the holiday and return to work afterward as smoothly as possible. We are working with relevant departments to manage the travel rush safely and efficiently for millions of travelers."

Coordinating millions of travelers across railways, highways, airports and ferries requires a highly complex, multiagency operation, and authorities are working to ensure that this massive movement runs smoothly, safely and efficiently.

Railways are expanding capacity to meet demand. Zhu Wenzhong, head of China State Railway Group's passenger transportation department, said: "This year, 22 new lines totaling over 3,100 kilometers and more than 50 stations will participate in the travel rush for the first time. We are also running nearly 1,000 high-speed trains at night on major corridors to ease congestion."

It is estimated that on peak travel days, more than 14,000 passenger trains can be operated, with seating capacity increasing by 5.3 percent year-on-year. Both high-speed and regular trains will operate to ensure that even people in rural communities can reach their destinations.

This year, the travel season covers a nine-day holiday period, from Feb 15 to 23. Officials said that outbound travel before the holiday is expected to be relatively spread out, as many universities begin winter breaks early. Return trips, however, are likely to be sharply concentrated as schools reopen and factories resume work.

Tourism is also shaping travel flows, with northern ice-and-snow destinations, southern beach resorts and international trips all drawing eager travelers.

"Family travel is evolving," said Xu Qing, director of the Civil Aviation Administration's transportation department.

"We are seeing more 'reverse travel', with parents visiting adult children, as well as trips that combine returning home with leisure travel. Airlines are adjusting schedules to keep pace with these new patterns," she added.

Airlines are adding flights and refining services to meet the growing demand.

"We are operating more than 19,000 flights daily, focusing on tourist hot spots and major hubs. At the same time, we are improving transfer options so travelers from smaller cities can reach their destinations more easily," Xu said.

Passengers traveling with children or elderly relatives will benefit from dedicated check-in areas, in-flight amenities and flexible baggage options.

As for highway and ferry services, Gao Bo, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport, said, "Highways will be toll-free for small passenger vehicles from Feb 15 to 23, and key ferry routes such as the Qiongzhou Strait in Hainan province will get extra support to ensure smooth passage for travelers."

The surge in new energy vehicles adds another layer of planning. Gao noted that China now has nearly 44 million electric and hybrid vehicles on the road.

"More than 71,000 EV charging connectors are available in service areas along freeways nationwide, and mobile chargers and real-time updates will help prevent delays at busy service areas," he said.