China's railway passenger traffic hits record high in Jan-May

BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China's railway network handled 1.86 billion passenger trips in the first five months of 2025, the national railway operator said.

This number marked a year-on-year increase of 7.3 percent and a record high compared to similar periods in history, according to data released Friday by the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

In the same period, 11,243 trains on average were being operated on a daily basis, up 7.5 percent year on year.

The highest daily passenger traffic this year was recorded on May 1, the first day of a five-day May Day holiday. On this day, 13,752 trains were put into operation, providing more than 23 million trips for passengers. These two numbers both marked the highest single-day records of their kind so far, the company said.

As China further expands its visa-free policies for foreign nationals, the nation's railways have noted a growing number of foreign passengers. In the first five months of 2025, foreign nationals made 7.67 million train trips in China, jumping 29 percent year on year, the data showed.

Meanwhile, cross-border railway transport also recorded fast growth during the period. For instance, the China-Laos Railway recorded 124,000 passenger trips, representing an increase of 24.2 percent year on year, according to the data. Enditem