China Railway Launches 62-Day Summer Transport Peak with Record Capacity and Customised Tourism Services

According to state media reports, China’s national railway system officially kicked off its 62-day summer transportation peak on 1 July, which will run until 31 August. The national railway network is projected to handle 1.01 billion passenger journeys throughout the seasonal rush, representing an average daily passenger volume of 16.29 million trips.

The 2026 summer travel season benefits from newly operational rail infrastructure that further optimises the national transport layout. Newly opened high-speed rail routes including the Xi’an–Shiyan high-speed railway, together with upgraded transport hubs such as Xi’an East Railway Station and Foshan Railway Station, expand the existing rail network and deliver more convenient travel options for passengers across different regions.

Railway authorities have rolled out a dedicated summer timetable based on the third-quarter operational schedule to cope with surging travel demand. A total of 480 additional cross-administration passenger services have been arranged for the peak period, with around 12,000 passenger trains scheduled for daily operation nationwide, forming a robust capacity guarantee for concentrated passenger flows.

Regional passenger flow distribution shows prominent concentration in major economic and urban clusters, including the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and the Chengdu–Chongqing twin-city economic circle. Ticket reservation data indicates stronger travel willingness among residents in small and medium-sized cities compared with previous years. Popular travel routes from Fuyang in Anhui Province to tourist destinations including Beijing, Xi’an, Qingdao, Xiamen and Huangshan maintain high booking rates, while Shaoxing North Railway Station has dynamically increased transport capacity in response to early passenger growth.

The official railway ticketing and service platform 12306 leverages big data analytics to accurately capture real-time travel demand trends and implement flexible capacity adjustments across the network. A series of user-centric service upgrades have been deployed to improve travel experience. A bicycle carrying service is now available at stations along the Beijing North–Chongli section of the Beijing–Zhangjiakou high-speed railway. The pet-friendly travel service covers 163 high-speed railway stations and 364 EMU trains, while the luggage-free travel service extends to 212 stations nationwide, streamlining travel procedures for different passenger groups.

Prior to the summer transport season, multiple government departments introduced 15 policy measures to deepen integration between railway transport and cultural tourism industries and expand service consumption potential. The seasonal transport arrangement incorporates a wealth of new themed tourist rail routes to meet diversified leisure travel needs.

National railway operators will launch specialised tourist trains tailored for parent-child tours, study tours, red culture excursions and wellness travel. Established premium tourist services including the Tianjin Travel Time Train, Panda Special Train, Yangtze River Delta Star Train, Great Shangrao Train and Yichun Train will continue regular operations. A range of cultural and study-tour rail routes run on a daily basis, such as the Qilu No.1 cultural heritage study train between Taishan and Handan, the Nanhu 1921 cultural train between Shanghai and Hangzhou, the double-decker folk culture train connecting Kunming, Lijiang and Dali, and the Snow Capital Altay tourist route between Urumqi and Altay. Additional tourist trains linking Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Dalian with Xinjiang will operate frequently during the season, with continuous upgrades to onboard facilities and service standards.

New customised themed trains will be launched across the country to cater for niche travel demands, including fan-themed trains, music fan special routes and academic study tour carriages. The innovative themed rail economy model will stimulate emerging passenger flows, drive cultural tourism consumption along railway lines and support the upgrading of regional service industries. The 12306 platform has expanded its flexible travel pass portfolio to 26 categories, with eligible tickets now available for child passengers, offering more cost-effective travel solutions for family and parent-child trips.

Ongoing optimisation of capacity allocation, service scenarios and tourism integration mechanisms will continue to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of the national railway network throughout the summer period, sustaining high-quality operational performance during the annual travel peak.