Record: China records 1.86 billion train trips in five months

China’s railway network handled 1.86 billion passenger trips during the first five months of 2025, according to data released by the China Railway Group Co., Ltd.
This represents a 7.3% year-on-year increase and a record high compared to similar historical periods, according to data released by the group.
During the same period, an average of 11,240 trains operated daily, a 7.5% increase year-on-year, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The highest daily passenger traffic of the year was recorded on May 1, the five-day Labor Day holiday, when 13,750 trains operated, providing more than 23 million passenger trips.
Chinese Railway Group Co., Ltd. said that these two figures set the highest single-day records to date. As China expands its visa-free policy for foreign nationals, the country’s railways have recorded a growing number of foreign passengers. Data shows that foreign nationals made 7.67 million train trips in China during the first five months of this year, a 29% year-on-year increase. Meanwhile, cross-border railway transport also registered rapid growth during the period. For example, the China-Laos Railway recorded 124,000 passenger trips, representing a 24.2% year-on-year increase.