On February 24th, it was revealed by the Chinese railway authorities that from the fifth to the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, a staggering 14.25 million, 15.16 million, 15.29 million, and 16.07 million passenger trips were recorded respectively. This marks a historic milestone as the daily passenger traffic during the Spring Festival travel rush has broken records for four consecutive days.
This unprecedented surge in travel activity during the Spring Festival underscores the unparalleled operational capacity of China's railway network.
During peak hours, the railway's 12306 ticketing system processed a remarkable 1000 tickets per second. At Shanghai Hongqiao Station, during peak travel periods, up to 1000 passengers per minute were processed through facial recognition and ticket validation systems. Meanwhile, at Zhengzhou East Station, a high-speed train was dispatched approximately every 1.35 minutes. Notably, on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway line, trains maintained a minimum tracking interval of just 3 minutes between each other, demonstrating the efficiency and precision of China's railway operations.
Every day, millions of people's journeys are facilitated by smarter dispatching systems and optimized travel schedules.
During the Spring Festival holiday, the national railways operate around 12,800 passenger trains on average per day, with a seating capacity increased by 12.6% compared to the 2019 Spring Festival travel rush.
By the end of 2023, the operational mileage of the national railways reached 159,000 kilometers, including 45,000 kilometers of high-speed railways. The extensive transportation network connects cities and villages, and with each advancement in railway speed, the journey home during the Spring Festival becomes closer and more accessible.
