China Rail Eyes 284M Holiday Trips as Police Issue Tips

China’s railways are entering the busiest stretch of the year, with the national operator forecasting about 284 million passenger trips during a 16-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival travel period running from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. As passenger flows surge, public security organs issued a set of travel safety reminders, warning the public against ticket scalpers and urging orderly, civil behavior on the network, The Paper reported on Tuesday.

Context: The Longest Holiday Transport Window

The advisory comes as China marks a two-holiday travel season. In 2026 the Mid-Autumn Festival (Sept. 25–27) and National Day (Oct. 1–7) fall separately but back-to-back, generating a prolonged period of concentrated travel. To accommodate it, China State Railway Group scheduled a 16-day transport window described by domestic media as the longest-ever combined Mid-Autumn and National Day holiday transport period, according to VOC/新湖南.

The operator plans to run trains on a peak operating schedule of roughly 13,000 passenger trains per day nationwide, with Oct. 1 (National Day) expected to be the single busiest travel day of the period. By the start of the window, the official Railway 12306 platform had already sold millions of holiday tickets, and authorities noted that demand was “highly concentrated” in certain popular routes and time slots.

Key Developments: Record Regional Demand

Demand is especially heavy in three major economic clusters — the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Chengdu-Chongqing region. According to 21st Century Business Herald, the Yangtze River Delta railway alone expects about 54 million passenger trips during the period, with Oct. 1 forecast to carry some 4.4 million passengers — potentially a new single-day record for the holiday window.

To absorb the load, that regional operator plans 304 additional temporary trains and will run “red-eye” high-speed services overnight on the Beijing-Shanghai corridor and other trunk lines, as IQilu reported. Nationwide, the railway operator said it would run overnight high-speed trains and high-speed sleeper trains, couple EMU carriages together, and add carriages to conventional trains to maximize capacity on popular routes.

Police Safety Tips: Fraud Prevention and Orderly Travel

Against that backdrop, public security organs issued guidance aimed at protecting travelers during the crush. “During the National Day holiday, railway passenger flows are running high. To ensure the safety, smoothness, and civility of travel for the broad public, public security organs issued safety tips,” the notice said.

On ticketing, authorities urged travelers to buy only through official channels — the Railway 12306 official website, mobile app, or authorized ticket agents — and to avoid so-called “scalpers,” “internal discounts,” “VIP services,” or unlicensed proxy buyers. Travelers were warned not to click unknown links, disclose verification codes, or transfer money for purported “verification” or escrow purposes. “Once ticket-purchase fraud is discovered, call police immediately,” the guidance stated.

On boarding and behavior, passengers were reminded to submit to body and baggage security checks, to comply with restrictions on hazardous and limited-carry items, and to respect real-name verification. Authorities also warned against rushing turnstiles, occupying others’ seats, and disruptive drinking. Train sets are fully non-smoking, including e-cigarettes, to avoid triggering smoke alarms, the notice said.

For families, police advised keeping hold of elderly relatives and children in crowds and placing contact cards in their pockets, and reporting anyone lost immediately to railway police. Travelers were told to keep luggage within sight, carry valuables on their person, and double-check bag counts at dense-flow points such as security screening, boarding, and alighting.

Separately, the traffic management bureau of the Ministry of Public Security issued a broader holiday road-safety advisory, warning of elevated risks from tourism and family-visit traffic, expressway congestion, and driver fatigue. It urged motorists to maintain safe following distances, avoid speeding and fatigue driving, and never drink and drive after holiday gatherings, as Huanqiu/CCTV reported.

Analysis: A Stress Test for Holiday Travel

The twin-holiday period amounts to an annual stress test for China’s rail network, straining capacity at major hubs and intensifying competition for tickets on popular routes. The emphasis on official ticketing channels and anti-fraud warnings reflects a recurring concern: as demand spikes, scammers and unlicensed resellers exploit travelers scrambling for seats.

At the same time, the sheer scale of expected demand — hundreds of millions of trips concentrated into a 16-day window — underscores the central role of rail in how China moves its population during peak travel seasons, when tourism, family visits, and student travel overlap.

What’s Next

All eyes will be on Oct. 1, the anticipated peak day, when the Yangtze River Delta could set a new single-day record and nationwide flows tighten further. Overnight and high-speed sleeper services will run through the window to relieve pressure, and authorities are expected to maintain heightened security and safety messaging until travel subsides after Oct. 8.

For travelers, the core advice remains unchanged: buy through official channels, arrive early, watch your belongings, and follow staff instructions in any emergency.