China's railway passenger trips surpass 2.3 billion in first half of 2026

Beijing (ANTARA) - According to data from China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway), passenger journeys across China reached a record high in the first half of 2026, exceeding 2.3 billion trips, up five per cent compared with the previous year.

China Railway said an average of 11,468 passenger trains were operated each day during the six-month period, reflecting an increase of 5.8 per cent year on year (yoy).

To accommodate the rising passenger flow driven by China’s visa-free transit policy, China’s railway network has facilitated more journeys by foreign passengers, recording more than 12.31 million foreign passenger trips in the first half of this year, a surge of 33.6 per cent (yoy).

During the period, cross-border rail travel continued to grow, with the China-Laos Railway recorded as serving 188,000 journeys, up 25.9 per cent from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail served 16.96 million cross-border journeys, registering an increase of 13.8 per cent (yoy), China Railway explained.

China Railway has coordinated with local culture and tourism departments to promote tourism, operating 1,797 tourist trains nationally in the first six months of this year.

In addition, China’s national railway operator has also expanded its “silent carriage” services and pet-friendly journeys.