China’s Railways Set Record with 2.8 Billion Passengers
China’s national railway network transported 2.8 billion passengers in the first seven months of 2026, a 4.1% year-on-year increase that sets a new record for the January-July period, according to data released by China State Railway Group. The figures reflect robust domestic travel demand and the continued expansion of the country’s high-speed rail infrastructure.
The railway operator reported that the network averaged 11,462 passenger trains per day during the period, an increase of 571 trains (5.2%) compared with the same period last year. The growth was driven in part by the deployment of newly opened lines, including the Xi’an-Shiyan high-speed railway, which opened on June 30 and reduced travel time between Wuhan and Xi’an to just 2 hours and 41 minutes, as reported by the Wuhan Transport Bureau. The Jinhua-Jiande high-speed railway’s Lanxi East to Jiande section also opened in February, marking the first new high-speed line in the Yangtze River Delta region in 2026, according to Shanghai Jiefang Daily.
Cross-Border and Foreign Passenger Growth
Cross-border rail travel saw particularly strong growth. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway carried 20.049 million cross-border passengers, up 11.5% year-on-year, while the China-Laos Railway transported 214,000 cross-border passengers, a 38.2% increase. The GZ-SZ-HK line’s cumulative cross-border traffic for 2026 exceeded 20 million on August 10, 11 days earlier than the previous year, as detailed by Shenzhen Daily.
Foreign passenger numbers surged 32.5% to 14.852 million, driven largely by China’s expanded visa-free transit policy. The policy has significantly boosted international travel to and within the country, with railway authorities adapting services to accommodate the growing influx of international visitors. International passenger trains connecting China with Mongolia, Russia, Vietnam, and North Korea have continued stable operations throughout the period.
Railway-Tourism Integration Accelerates
The integration of rail and tourism has emerged as a major growth driver. In the first seven months, the national railway operated 2,159 tourist trains, including 1,184 dedicated tourist trains and 975 tourist route trains. An additional 79 customized “fan trains” were deployed for concerts and sporting events, according to CNR/CCTV.
Branded tourist trains such as the “Panda Train,” “Yangtze River Delta Star,” and “Southern Train · Red Cotton” have strengthened connections with scenic areas and hotels, creating new “railway + tourism” scenarios that have effectively stimulated cultural tourism consumption. This growth follows a broader policy push, with multiple government departments jointly issuing 15 measures to promote railway-tourism integration and expand service consumption.
The model has resonated with travelers. Zhang Yuan, a passenger on the overnight D4494 train from Datong South to Beijing North, told CNR: “In the morning I visited the Yungang Grottoes, and in the evening I went to the Datong Ancient City. After finishing, I just caught this train and arrived at 5-something in the morning, then went straight home to rest. I think this model is great - travel during the day, travel by night.”
Smart Scheduling and Capacity Optimization
Railway authorities have leveraged big data from the 12306 ticketing and waitlist systems to optimize scheduling, adding temporary trains, coupling train units, and attaching additional carriages on popular routes. This data-driven approach has helped manage peak demand efficiently.
Zhou Changfeng, deputy director of product development at China Railway Passenger Transport Center, emphasized the importance of balanced service delivery: “Coordinate high-speed and conventional railway resources, carefully formulate train operation plans, increase passenger capacity deployment, maintain conventional passenger train operations, operate public welfare slow trains and rural revitalization trains, and ensure the inclusiveness, balance, and accessibility of railway transportation,” he said, as quoted by China Youth Daily.
The record-breaking performance builds on a strong 2025, when national railways carried 4.255 billion passengers for the full year. The first half of 2026 alone saw 2.348 billion passengers, up 5% year-on-year, with a single-day record of 24.484 million passengers set on May 1.
Outlook
With continued network expansion and the growing appeal of railway tourism, China’s rail passenger numbers are expected to keep climbing through the remainder of 2026. The second half of the year typically sees strong travel demand during the National Day holiday period in October, and the ongoing integration of rail with tourism and cultural events suggests further growth opportunities ahead.
As People’s Daily noted in its coverage, the figures underscore the resilience of domestic travel demand and the strategic importance of railway infrastructure in supporting China’s broader economic and social development goals.