During the New Year's Day holiday, railway passenger volume exceeded 48 million, with new lines releasing their transport capacity
From January 1st to 3rd, 2026, the transportation during the New Year's Day holiday on China's national railways ushered in a travel peak, with a total of 48.087 million passengers sent, of which 18.56 million were sent on January 1st alone, setting a record for the peak passenger flow during the holiday. The entire transportation process was safe, smooth, and orderly. The passenger flow this time was mainly for visiting relatives and friends, tourism and vacation, and students returning home. The demand for short and medium-distance travel was particularly strong, and the transportation capacity released by newly opened lines at the end of 2025 became the core support for ensuring travel.
The railway department has fully utilized the resources of new lines and stations, such as the Xi'an-Yan'an High-Speed Railway, the Baotou-Yinchuan High-Speed Railway (Baotou-Huicheng Section), and the Wuhan-Yichang Section of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-Speed Railway (Wuhan-Yichang High-Speed Railway), to accurately fill transportation gaps. Among them, the Wuhan-Yichang High-Speed Railway, as an important part of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-Speed Railway, demonstrated strong transportation efficiency just one week after its opening. The core hub Yichang North Station has received more than 30,000 passengers, and the fastest journey from Wuhan to Yichang takes only 69 minutes, a reduction of 34 minutes compared to the original route. The Wuhan Railway Bureau operates 29 pairs of high-speed trains daily on the Wuhan-Yichang section, covering provincial hubs and major cities such as Beijing West and Shanghai Hongqiao. It has also innovatively launched 2 pairs of "Hankou-Hankou" loop high-speed trains, connecting Wuhan, Xiangyang, Jingmen, Jingzhou, and other places, with a total journey time of 3 hours and 27 minutes. This effectively reduces the number of transfer links for cross-city travel and improves travel efficiency.
The Baotou-Yinchuan section of the Baotou-Yinchuan High-Speed Railway also ushered in its first New Year's Day holiday after its opening. The Lanzhou Railway Bureau added temporary multiple unit (MU) trains between Yinchuan and Hohhot East, operating in both directions daily, catering to the travel demand of early departure and late return between the two cities. During the holiday, 20 MU trains were operated daily on this route, achieving a balanced allocation of inter-provincial and inter-city transportation capacity, significantly improving travel efficiency between cities in western Inner Mongolia. The concentrated commissioning of the new line not only expanded the coverage of the railway transportation network but also ushered cities along the line, such as Jingshan and Zhongxiang, into the high-speed rail era for the first time, further activating regional travel potential.
Railway bureaus across the country have launched diversified service initiatives based on regional characteristics, making the holiday travel more warm and welcoming. The Zhengzhou Railway Bureau, leveraging the advantages of the "米"-shaped high-speed rail network, has deepened the integration of "railway + cultural tourism" and introduced special discounts for "high-speed rail + scenic spots": passengers holding tickets for arrival at five stations including Zhengzhou East Station and Kaifeng North Station on the same day or within two days can enjoy up to 20% discounts on tickets for five core scenic spots, including Qingming Shanghe Park, Kaifeng Prefecture, and Longting Park. Nearly 20,000 people have enjoyed discounted admission with their tickets during the holiday. At the same time, the Zhengzhou Railway Bureau has also added 41 night high-speed trains and 129 temporary passenger trains, with transportation capacity increasing by 23.9% year-on-year compared to 2025. Theme activities such as "Celebrating New Year's Day and Carrying Forward the Spirit of the Red Flag Canal" have been held at stations such as Anyang Station to enrich travel cultural experiences.
In response to the potential rain, snow, and icy weather conditions in southern mountainous areas during winter, the Chengdu Railway Bureau, in collaboration with the power grid, has installed icing warning devices on mountainous lines such as the Chongqing-Guiyang and Chengdu-Kunming routes to monitor the power supply status of the overhead contact system in real time. Preparations for de-icing and snow melting are made in advance to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the lines. While fully ensuring passenger transportation, the Shanghai Railway Bureau also takes into account freight transportation, achieving "non-stop and uninterrupted" operation of the China-Europe freight trains during festivals through optimized capacity allocation, ensuring the smooth flow of international industrial and supply chains. Furthermore, railway systems nationwide have generally optimized ticket sales strategies, fully utilizing convenient features such as 12306 standby ticket purchasing and online seat selection, and coordinating with local authorities to increase the frequency of bus and subway connections, making the "last mile" travel smoother for passengers.