Photo: China Railway

 
China's railway systems have witnessed an impressive surge in travel, with a total of 1.77 billion trips administered in the first half of 2023, according to data released by China Railway on Sunday. 

The upward trend in rail travel is expected to gain further momentum during an anticipated  sizzling summer tourism season, as more and more people embark on exciting journeys across the nation.

China Railway reported an increasing passenger volume from April to June, with a significant jump of 7.6 percent, 5.6 percent, and 4.8 percent compared to the same period in 2019. Notably, April 29 witnessed a historic milestone, with a staggering 19.661 million trips made in a single day, marking the highest single-day delivery in history.

The steady economic recovery and social development have contributed to the growth of railway passenger flow in the first half of the year, according to China Railway. 

In the first half of the year, an average of 9,311 passenger trains  operated on daily basis, reflecting an 11.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019. 

Currently, the railway is optimizing  operations and services to meet the demands of the summer vacation travel boom.

Railway passenger traffic has been growing rapidly since the commencement of the summer holiday travel rush on July 1. As of June 7, a total of 4.4 million passenger trips were made through  Wuhan’s Railway stations, representing a remarkable 43.8 percent year-on-year increase and remaining on par with the same period in 2019. 

Similarly, the Hainan railway witnessed a surge in passenger numbers, with 570,000 passengers recorded from June 1 to 7, marking a 36 percent increase compared to the same period last year and a 12 percent increase compared to 2019.

In addition to rail travel, the demand for air travel has also witnessed a significant surge. Data from Chinese online travel platform Trip.com revealed that domestic ticket orders from July 1 to 5 reached a record high during the summer rush, while outbound ticket orders increased sixfold compared to the previous year.