Optimized efficiency in China's vast transportation network ensured a smooth 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, with a record of more than 9.4 billion inter-regional passenger trips registered across the country during the period.
The travel rush, often described as the world's largest annual human migration, highlights China's massive mobility and vibrant economic activity. This year, the rush started on Feb. 2 and ended on March 13.
"This year's Spring Festival travel rush exhibited a new characteristic of 'one increase and two decreases.' During the 40-day travel rush period, the total number of inter-regional passenger trips exceeded 9.4 billion, averaging 235 million trips per day, a year-on-year increase of 4.3 percent. Both the scale of travel and the peak daily volume set new historical records. During the Spring Festival holiday, the number of severely congested sections of highways decreased by 40 percent year on year, and the number of service areas with particularly busy charging stations decreased by 48 percent year on year,” said Gao Bo, deputy director of the Transport Services Department of the Ministry of Transport.
Self-driving trips continued to dominate during this year's rush, accounting for 80 percent of all travel. With over 70,000 charging stations deployed at highway service areas nationwide, the needs of new energy vehicle were robustly supported. Nearly 100,000 kilometers of newly renovated rural roads made the country trips more enjoyable.
"We frequently drive on highways, and charging cars at service areas is very convenient. By the time we finish our meal, the car is fully charged when we get back in. Overall, highway travel is comfortable," said a driver.
The 3,109 kilometers of new railway lines opened in 2025 were launched for the first time during this year's Spring Festival travel rush, including 2,862 kilometers of high-speed rail. Throughout the rush, over 10,000 high-speed trains operated daily across the country.
During this year's Spring Festival travel rush, air passenger traffic reached a record high. Several new airports and terminals began operations, providing robust support for travelers.
As the first Spring Festival travel rush following the implementation of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port, the period saw a surge in passenger traffic at Sanya Phoenix International Airport, which transported over 3.57 million travelers. The newly opened Terminal 3 managed more than 3,400 flights and served over 730,000 passengers during the period.
"[The new terminal] effectively diverted passenger flow and alleviated pressure on flight operations. The 40 newly added check-in counters and 23 security checkpoints significantly reduced passenger queuing pressure," said Qian Xiaoyi, Vice President of Sanya Phoenix International Airport.
Efficient transportation network ensures smooth Spring Festival travel rush in China
