China to see record daily cross-regional trips during 2025 Spring Festival rush

China is expected to see record-breaking daily cross-regional trips during the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush, Chinese Vice Minister of Transport Li Yang said at a press briefing on Friday.

The Spring Festival travel rush is a period of high transportation demand, as the Chinese people return home for family reunions. The period will last from Jan 14 to Feb 22, 2025, and preparations have been made to ensure smooth transportation, Li said.

"The 2025 Spring Festival travel rush is expected to last 40 days, starting from Jan 14 and ending on Feb 22. We predict that travel demand will be stronger this year, with the release of various policies. Both the total number of trips and the daily travel volume are expected to reach historic highs during the Spring Festival travel rush. Relevant departments will make further arrangements on the Spring Festival travel rush. The Ministry of Transport has set up a task force and is making efforts to ensure a 'safe, pleasant, and convenient' Spring Festival travel experience," said Li.

The upcoming Spring Festival, China's most important traditional holiday, falls on Jan 29. In 2025, there will be an eight-day holiday for the Spring Festival with the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year added.

Train tickets for the Spring Festival travel rush will go on sale on Dec 31, according to the national railway operator China Railway.

To address ticketing needs of students and migrant workers heading home for the traditional Chinese festival, China's official railway ticket-booking app 12306 launched a new function recently, allowing these two groups to make reservations ahead of the pre-sale date.

Air tickets for the Spring Festival period are also available now.

International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol warned on Thursday that the global oil market may enter a "red zone" in July and August this year, as fuel demand rise and stocks dwindle.

Birol noted that the supply crisis triggered by the situation in the Middle East was initially cushioned by spare capacity in the global oil market, but that oil stocks are now gradually decreasing.

The 32 members of the IEA on March 11 unanimously agreed to make 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves available to the market in response to disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict.

The IEA stands ready to coordinate further reserve releases if necessary, Birol added.