China expects largest-ever Spring Festival travel rush

China is preparing for what could be the largest Spring Festival travel rush in its history, with cross-regional passenger trips expected to reach 9.5 billion, officials said in Beijing on Thursday.

The annual migration, known as chunyun, is not just a celebration of family reunions but also a stress test for the country's transport system and governance capacity.

Coordinating millions of travelers across railways, highways, airports, and ferries requires a highly complex, multi-agency operation, and authorities are working to ensure that this massive movement runs smoothly, safely, and efficiently.

Self-driving trips are expected to remain dominant, accounting for roughly 80 percent of journeys, while railway and civil aviation passenger volumes are forecast to reach 540 million and 95 million, respectively. Both overall travel and single-day peaks are likely to surpass previous records.

"The Spring Festival travel coordination is a massive operation involving more than 20 government departments," Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said.

"Our goal is to make sure people can get home for the holiday and return to work afterward as smoothly as possible. We are working with relevant departments to manage the travel rush safely and efficiently for millions of travelers."

Railways are expanding capacity to meet demand, Zhu Wenzhong, head of China State Railway Group's Passenger Transport Department, said.

"This year, 22 new lines totaling over 3,100 kilometers and more than 50 stations will participate in the travel rush for the first time. We are also running nearly 1,000 high-speed trains at night on major corridors to ease congestion," Zhu said.

Peak-day train services are expected to exceed 14,000, a 5.3 percent increase in seating compared with last year. Both high-speed and conventional trains will operate to ensure that even rural communities can reach their destinations.