Over 510 million rail trips were made in the 40-day period (Photo: Xinhua)
The total number of inter-regional passenger trips across China during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, also known locally as chunyun, reached a record of 9.02 billion, according to official data released on Sunday.
According to the Chinese government data, at 9.02 billion trips, the number of visits have grown 7.1 pc over passenger trips made during Spring Festival 2024, which also coincides with the Lunar New Year celebrations.
In a press statement, the government says that the travel rush, often referred to as the world’s largest annual human migration, highlights China’s vast mobility and economic activity. With a steadily recovering economy and rising demand for travel, this year’s chunyun saw a robust transportation network handling unprecedented passenger volumes, it adds.
According to the statement, road traffic made up the lion’s share of these trips. During the period, about 8.39 billion trips were made by road, increasing 7.2 pc year-on-year.
Railway passenger volume reached 513 million, expanding 6.1 pc over the volumes registered in 2024 and setting a new record during the chunyun period, according to the China State Railway Group.
According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the country’s civil aviation sector recorded 90.2 million passenger trips and 739,000 flights during the period, both of which reached new historical highs. About 31.15 million passenger trips were registered through the country’s waterways as well, indicating that practically all modes of transportation were used by the travellers.
The Spring Festival, an occasion for family reunions, fell on January 29 this year and the 40-day period ended on February 22.
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