China's rail network carries record 24.8 million passengers on May 1
China’s rail network carried a record 24.8 million passengers on May 1, topping forecast and pointing to strong holiday travel despite weak consumer spending.
A record 24.8 million passengers moved across China’s rail network on May 1, a total that slightly exceeded the 24.5 million trips officials had projected and turned the Labor Day rush into a sharp readout on household mobility. The system was expected to carry another 19.7 million travelers on May 2, keeping pressure high during an eight-day travel period that China State Railway Group said would reach 158 million passenger trips from April 29 to May 6.
Rail planners had braced for one of the year’s busiest windows, with about 12,000 passenger trains scheduled each day across the holiday period. Capacity was added at major corridors as demand surged, including 140 extra passenger trains on the Zhengzhou line and 184 on the Chengdu line. Ticket sales had already signaled the scale of the rush: by 8 a.m. on April 30, the 12306 booking platform had sold 83.02 million holiday tickets.
The May 1 total also marked another step up from last year’s holiday traffic. In 2025, China’s rail network handled nearly 23.12 million passenger trips on the first day of the May Day break, with 13,800 passenger trains operating that day. Officials had then forecast 144 million rail passenger trips for the broader April 29 to May 6 holiday period. This year’s stronger opening day suggests that travel demand has continued to build, even after an already elevated 2025 base.
The passenger record matters well beyond transport. Tourism has remained one of the more resilient parts of China’s economy while weak consumer spending and a prolonged property downturn continue to weigh on sentiment. During the five-day May Day holiday in 2025, China reported 314 million domestic tourist trips and 180.3 billion yuan in spending, up from 295 million trips and 166.89 billion yuan in 2024. This year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism launched a May Day Culture and Tourism Consumption Week to encourage additional travel and spending.
Cross-border travel also pointed to strong holiday momentum. The National Immigration Administration projected average daily inbound and outbound passenger flows of 2.25 million during the break, with traffic peaking above 2.4 million on one day. Together with the rail data, the figures show a travel system running near capacity and a consumer still willing to spend on movement, leisure and family visits, even as China’s broader recovery remains uneven.
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