China's railway system is expected to handle 17.35 million passenger trips on Saturday, the fourth day of the five-day May Day holiday, as more and more holidaymakers set out on their return journeys.
Over 16.75 million passenger trips were made on Friday, said China Railway, the country's railway operator.
The operator said it plans to add 1,149 passenger trains on Saturday to deal with the return rush of people who spent the holiday in their hometowns or at scenic spots across the country.
Specifically, the China Railway Beijing Group is expected to handle 1.43 million passenger trips and add 86 pairs of passenger trains, the Shanghai Group to handle 3.73 million passengers and operate 164 additional trains, and an estimated 2.25 million passenger trips are likely to be made on rail lines operated by the Guangzhou Group, which plans to add 239 trains for the day.
Apart from major urban agglomerations, cities including Chengdu, Wuhan and Xi'an which are rich in tourism resources are also popular destinations for travelers.
"We have added real-name verification ticket gates, security check machines, manual entry channels and self-service entry channels to better handle the inflow of passengers and facilitate their travel," said Wang Lu, an official of Xi'an Railway Station under China Railway Xi'an Group.
Thursday also marks the Youth Day in China. Groups of young volunteers worked at railway stations across the country to assist passengers with various needs.
China's railway passenger trips are expected to reach 144 million during the eight-day May Day holiday travel rush from April 29 to May 6, said the operator.
17.35 mln rail passengers expected on Day 4 of holiday
The Russian auto market has undergone a major shift in recent years,with Chinese brands surging in popularity and now capturing over half of new car sales in Russia.
Following Russia's conflict with Ukraine, major companies from Germany, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan ceased official sales, supplies, and services in the country, leading to a significant increase in prices for their cars and spare parts.
This void has been filled by Chinese car brands, whose market share in Russia surged to over 60 percent in 2023, nearly doubling from the previous year. In contrast, China held just a 9 percent market share in February 2022.
Ekaterina, an owner of a Chinese car who switched from a European brand, cited the complications in servicing her old car after Western car brands exited the Russian market. She highlighted the stability of Chinese car prices as a key factor behind her decision.
"A year ago, many people had concerns about whether to switch to a Chinese-made car and some of my friends decided to do so. People looked at the car, listened to the pitch, and made the choice naturally because the price is stable," she said.
Sergey Tselikov, director of the analytical agency Avtostat, predicts further growth in 2024, as Chinese companies have already exported record volumes of cars to Russia.
"First, almost all other brands have stopped supplying to Russia. Automakers in South Korea, Japan, Europe and the U.S. have halted supplies amid fears of sanctions," said Tselikov.
Tselikov also pointed to the significant quality improvements in Chinese car manufacturing over the past five to seven years as another reason for their popularity in Russia.
The share of dealerships selling Chinese cars in Russia witnessed a remarkable increase, rising from 31 percent to 65 percent in 2023, while the number of models and modifications continues to expand. Chinese automakers have even re-purposed some factories previously used by Western car manufacturers.
Russia is also encouraging localization efforts, hoping to revive its own car manufacturing industry.
"The [Russian] Ministry of Industry and Trade and the government are stimulating and trying to ensure that the cars are not only imported but assembled in Russia and then hopefully localized. In Russia, this is a problematic endeavor because it is very difficult to produce cheaper components in Russia than those produced in China," said Tselikov.
Russian companies are seeking collaboration with Chinese firms to domestically assemble Chinese cars. Moskvich, a long-established Soviet-era car company, has started assembling Chinese cars under its own brand.
Chinese cars reshape Russia's auto industry as Western brands scale back
