China's railways handled a record of 1.13 billion passenger trips in the first quarter of 2026, up 5.5 percent year on year, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. announced on Thursday.
During the period, the railway network nationwide operated an average of 12,072 passenger trains every day, up 7.1 percent year on year, as railway authorities optimized transport capacity and adjusted services to match travel demand, the company said.
New measures were rolled out to improve passenger services, including two additional one-way discounted tickets for 2026 college graduates, telephone booking services for elderly passengers via the 12306 customer service center, and limited-time free refunds for mistakenly purchased tickets, the operator added.
To meet spring travel demand, railways also expanded tourist train services and launched full-itinerary products such as ice-and-snow and wellness tours, tapping into cultural and tourism resources along railway lines.
A total of 627 tourist trains were operated nationwide in the first three months of 2026, supporting the development of tourism, silver economy and ice-and-snow economy, said the company.
"We have strengthened our collaborations with government departments, industry associations, ticketing platforms, and others to launch customized themed trains, such as 'music fan trains,' 'football fan trains,' 'study tour trains,' and 'flower-viewing trains.' These initiatives have boosted the 'themed train plus' economy, created new consumption scenarios, and promoted the development of new business models," said Zhang Tao, deputy director of the marketing department of the passenger transport center at China State Railway Group.
Railway passenger trips hit record high in Q1
A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te over his latest remarks on cross-Strait relations, accusing him of promoting secessionism and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a press release that Lai's speech marking his second anniversary in office was "filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation."
Chen accused Lai of stubbornly adhering to a secessionist stance in pursuit of "Taiwan independence," while exaggerating the so-called threats from the mainland and intensifying confrontation across the Strait.
Lai played an old trick of advocating the secessionist agenda on one hand and, on the other, calling insincerely for dialogue and exchanges with the mainland, attempting to mislead people in Taiwan and deceive the international community, he said.
Chen said that these common tricks have been seen through by more and more Taiwanese people. Their deceptive and provocative actions will be met with firm opposition from compatriots on both sides and the international community, and are doomed to fail.
Reaffirming the mainland's position on the Taiwan question, Chen said Taiwan has never been a country, is not one now, and will never become one in the future.
He described the Taiwan question as a historical issue left over from a Chinese civil war in the 1940s.
No election result in Taiwan could alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China or sever the historical and legal bonds linking the two sides of the Strait, according to Chen.
The mainland would never allow any person or force to pursue secessionist activities under any pretext, he added.
Calling secessionists "the chief culprit" who undermines cross-Strait peace, Chen said the mainland would continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, unite broadly with Taiwan compatriots, combat secessionist activities, and safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.
Central government spokesperson refutes Lai Ching-te's latest remarks, warns against secessionist moves
