China's railway system had handled a total of 258 million passenger trips as the Spring Festival travel rush reached its halfway by Saturday, according to data from China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) on Sunday.
On Saturday alone, the system handled 17.187 million passenger trips.
The country's railway system is expected to handle 17.93 million passenger trips on Sunday, with 2,203 additional passenger trains scheduled.
As of 08:00 on Sunday, China's railway ticketing platform 12306 (including website and app) had sold a total of 325 million train tickets for the ongoing Spring Festival travel rush.
According to the pre-sales data, the major departure cities on Sunday include Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, etc, and the major arrival cities are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc.
The railway departments nationwide have proactively responded to the peak in return passenger flow by increasing capacity on popular routes, with measures to enhance convenience for travelers implemented to ensure that passengers enjoy a safe, orderly, and pleasant journey.
Meanwhile, nighttime high-speed trains and special trains for migrant workers are added to ensure their safe return.
The 2026 Spring Festival travel rush started on Feb 2 and will continue until March 13.
China’s railway system records 258 million passenger trips by Saturday
China’s railway system records 258 million passenger trips by Saturday
China’s railway system records 258 million passenger trips by Saturday
Severe snowstorms and strong winds have swept across parts of northern China, trapping vehicles and people, with local authorities immediately activating emergency response plans.
In Barkol County of Hami City in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, snowfall has occurred in mountainous areas over the past few days, with gusts reaching Force nine (20.8-24.4 m/s) and blowing snow hitting parts of G575 highway, leaving a large number of vehicles stranded on Friday, including three cars with 11 passengers.
Due to the large number of stranded vehicles, the rescuers had to walk to the rescue site. Facing low temperatures and strong winds, firefighters used shovels to clear thick snow around the trapped cars and gradually evacuated the passengers.
After more than two hours of intensive efforts, the 11 passengers were safely evacuated to a nearby toll station building for temporary shelter, and they left there on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, affected by strong cold air, severe snowfall, cold wave and strong winds hit Xilingol League in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Saturday. In some areas, the instantaneous wind force reached Force 10 (24.5-28.4 m/s), visibility dropped to less than 10 meters and the minimum outdoor temperature plummeted to minus 25 degrees Celsius.
In response to the extreme weather, local authorities immediately activated emergency response plans and organized rescue operations. Multiple incidents involving stranded vehicles, missing individuals and lost livestock were reported throughout the day.
The border management brigade in Abag Banner placed all officers on duty, with police stations rapidly assembling personnel and preparing sufficient rescue supplies to handle emergencies at any time. As of 20:00 on Saturday, the brigade had dispatched more than 20 officers and eight vehicles, successfully rescuing over 10 stranded vehicles and more than 20 trapped people, while also locating more than 400 lost sheep.
Meteorological authorities said that the weather is expected to turn clear on Sunday, although minimum temperatures in the region are forecast to remain around minus 25 degrees Celsius.
Heavy snow sweeps across northern China, triggering emergency response plans
