China's railways carry record 943 million passengers in summer travel season

Football fans pose for pictures at the waiting hall of Wuxi New District Railway Station in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Li Chen)

China's railways carried a record 943 million passengers during the 62-day summer travel season that concluded Aug. 31, marking a 4.7 percent increase from the previous year, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

China's railway network averaged more than 15 million passenger trips daily during the summer, operating an average of 11,330 passenger trains per day, an 8 percent increase from the previous year.

High-speed trains reached new operational speeds during the summer travel rush, with two key segments increasing from 310 to 350 kilometers per hour. The Beijing-Shenyang section of the Beijing-Harbin high-speed railway and the Hangzhou-Changsha section of the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway both hit the higher speeds.

"There are more trains between Beijing and Shenyang now, and travel time is shorter," said Wang, a resident of Shenyang in northeast China's Liaoning Province, who commutes to Beijing almost weekly. During the summer travel season, China Railway Shenyang Bureau Group operated 56 benchmark high-speed trains on the Beijing-Shenyang segment of the Beijing-Harbin high-speed railway.

Railway authorities in the Yangtze River Delta operated special trains for football fans attending the Jiangsu Football City League in east China's Jiangsu Province. The trains supported fans traveling to the tournament, known as "Su Chao," while promoting the "ticket-stub economy" — a model that gives event-goers discounts on dining, lodging and travel.

The special football trains proved popular, with 35 services carrying more than 31,500 fans to games by the end of August.

The surge in summer concerts also sparked a wave of music-related travel, with young fans traveling between cities for live performances. Rail operators jumped on the trend by introducing dedicated "fan trains."

China's railway network carried 3.48 million international passengers during the summer travel season, marking a 23.9 percent increase from the previous year.

Passengers enjoy food on a tourist train operated by China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. (Photo/Ji Zhixiang)

According to data from 12306, China's official railway booking app, international tourists' top destinations included Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Suzhou, Xi'an and Chongqing.

During the same period, Chongqing East Railway Station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality handled more than 4,500 international passenger trips.

"We are huge fans of China's high-speed rail!" said Lina from France at Chongqing East Railway Station, standing with travelers from over a dozen countries. "It's not just fast and convenient — the stations even have libraries. I found Chinese novels in French. It's an amazing experience."

Railway operators nationwide ran 579 trains designed for tourists during the summer, a 31 percent increase from the previous year.

From July 1 to late August, a tourist train operated by China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group made six round trips between Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, and Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The service handled 1,242 passenger trips and generated 16.76 million yuan ($2.34 million) in revenue. Elderly passengers made up about 56 percent of travelers, and over 90 percent traveled in family groups.