Yangtze River Delta rail expects peak 4.15 million passengers as holiday ends
Version 2: The report now covers the full holiday week through the Oct 7 return peak, adding daily forecasts and actual volumes for Oct 5, 6 and 7, the Oct 1 single-day record, national railway figures, and a separate return-flow update from the Nanchang railway group in Jiangxi and Fujian.
In short
China Railway Shanghai Group expected the Yangtze River Delta rail network to send 4.15 million passengers on Oct 7, the last day of the National Day holiday, up 17.7% from a year earlier. Nationally, China Railway expected 24.15 million passengers that day and planned 2,449 extra trains. Delta traffic rose through the holiday week, from 3.84 million expected on Oct 4 to 3.9 million on Oct 6, with extra trains, coupled EMU sets and overnight high-speed services added.
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China's railways entered the final day of the National Day holiday on Oct 7 with the return-travel peak of the period. China Railway Shanghai Group expected to send 4.15 million passengers across the Yangtze River Delta, up 17.7% from a year earlier, according to CLS, Yicai and Jiemian. [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]
Jiemian reported that the group planned 557 extra trains for Oct 7 — 216 on long-distance routes and 341 within the region — plus 427 coupled EMU sets and 210 overnight high-speed services running into the early hours of Oct 8, focused on routes such as Fuyang, Bozhou, Xuzhou and Lianyungang to Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou. The group sent 3.83 million passengers on Oct 6 and 48.66 million cumulatively from Sept 23 through Oct 6, an average of about 3.476 million a day, with Oct 1's 4.427 million a single-day record for National Day holiday transport, according to the same report. [ 17 ]
Nationally, China Railway expected 24.15 million passengers on Oct 7 and planned 2,449 extra trains, Jiemian, CLS and Yicai reported, citing the national operator. The national network sent 21.605 million passengers on Oct 6, which the operator described as safe and orderly. [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]
On Oct 6, the sixth day of the holiday, the delta network was expected to send 3.9 million passengers, Jiemian, CLS, Yicai and 36Kr reported. Return flows were concentrated from the afternoon at stations in Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Ningbo, Nantong, Yancheng and Yangzhou. The group planned 553 extra trains, 425 coupled EMU sets, 136 additional conventional carriages and 342 overnight high-speed services into Oct 7, after sending 3.841 million passengers on Oct 5, with cumulative traffic of 44.83 million, about 3.448 million a day. [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 ]
China Railway Nanchang Group, which covers Jiangxi and Fujian, expected to send 1.55 million passengers on Oct 6 — 821,000 in Jiangxi and 729,000 in Fujian — with tourism, family visits and students returning to school. It added 397 trains, including 15 overnight high-speed services toward Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, Jiemian reported. [ 14 ]
A day earlier, on Oct 5, the delta network was expected to send more than 3.8 million passengers as return traffic increased, after 3.755 million on Oct 4. Cumulative traffic from Sept 23 through Oct 4 reached 40.989 million, an average of about 3.416 million a day, CLS, Jiemian, 36Kr and China News Service reported. [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
The run began with 3.84 million passengers expected on Oct 4, after 3.729 million on Oct 3 and 37.234 million carried cumulatively since Sept 23, an average of about 3.385 million a day, CLS, Yicai, 36Kr and Jiemian reported. The group planned 104 extra trains that day, 294 coupled EMU sets and 131 additional conventional carriages. Jiemian, citing presale data as of 08:00 on Oct 4, said tickets were tight on direct routes toward Sichuan-Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Hubei, Hunan, the northwest and Yunnan-Guizhou. The holiday transport period ran from Sept 23 to Oct 8, 16 days. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 17 ]
Why it matters
The figures track one of China's busiest regional rail networks through the National Day travel period, showing how holiday demand is handled with extra trains, coupled carriages and overnight services. For readers outside China the story is mainly a measure of domestic holiday travel volumes and rail capacity rather than a change in policy or markets.
Key facts
- China Railway Shanghai Group expected the Yangtze River Delta rail network to send 4.15 million passengers on Oct 7, the last day of the National Day holiday, up 17.7% year on year. [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]
- Nationally, China Railway expected 24.15 million passengers on Oct 7 and planned 2,449 extra trains, after 21.605 million passengers on Oct 6. [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]
- The delta network had carried 48.66 million passengers cumulatively from Sept 23 through Oct 6, an average of about 3.476 million a day, and Oct 1's 4.427 million was a single-day record for National Day holiday transport. [ 17 ]
- On Oct 6 the delta network was expected to send 3.9 million passengers, after 3.841 million on Oct 5, with a cumulative 44.83 million through Oct 5, an average of about 3.448 million a day. [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 ]
- On Oct 5 the delta network was expected to send more than 3.8 million passengers, after 3.755 million on Oct 4, with a cumulative 40.989 million through Oct 4, an average of about 3.416 million a day. [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- On Oct 4 the delta network was expected to send 3.84 million passengers, after 3.729 million on Oct 3, with a cumulative 37.234 million through Oct 3, an average of about 3.385 million a day. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- China Railway Nanchang Group expected to send 1.55 million passengers in Jiangxi and Fujian on Oct 6 and added 397 trains, including 15 overnight high-speed services. [ 14 ]
- The Mid-Autumn and National Day holiday transport period ran from Sept 23 to Oct 8, 16 days. [ 17 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Yangtze River Delta rail network was expected to send 3.84 million passengers on Oct 4, and it sent 3.729 million on Oct 3, with 37.234 million carried cumulatively from Sept 23 through Oct 3, an average of about 3.385 million a day. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The delta network was expected to send more than 3.8 million passengers on Oct 5, after 3.755 million on Oct 4, bringing cumulative traffic through Oct 4 to 40.989 million, about 3.416 million a day. [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- The delta network was expected to send 3.9 million passengers on Oct 6, after 3.841 million on Oct 5, with cumulative traffic through Oct 5 at 44.83 million, about 3.448 million a day. [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 ]
- The delta network was expected to send 4.15 million passengers on Oct 7, up 17.7% from a year earlier. [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]
- Nationally, China Railway expected 24.15 million passengers on Oct 7 and planned 2,449 extra trains; it sent 21.605 million passengers on Oct 6, which it described as safe and orderly. [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the passenger forecasts for each day were met or exceeded. The documents give figures issued on the morning of each day as expectations, and none of them reports actual totals for the same day afterwards.
- The precise geographic scope counted in the Yangtze River Delta network figures. The documents attribute the numbers to China Railway Shanghai Group but do not define the area covered.
- Detailed ticket presale conditions, including routes with tight supply. This detail appears in Jiemian alone, citing China Central Television, so it is single-source in these documents.
- The Oct 6 delta total of 3.83 million passengers sent. The figure appears in Jiemian alone among these documents.
- Full text of some official coverage, including China News Service's Oct 6 and Oct 7 items and Xinhua's Oct 7 item. Those documents carry only headlines and photo captions or no readable body text, so their detail cannot be checked.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Sept 23–Oct 3 cumulative delta traffic reached 37.234 million; Oct 4 is expected to bring 3.84 million passengers and 104 extra trains. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Oct 5: return traffic rises, with more than 3.8 million passengers expected and 3.755 million sent on Oct 4. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- China News Service publishes photo coverage from Shanghai Station on the Oct 5 return flow, citing the same forecast of more than 3.8 million passengers. [ 8 ]
- Oct 6: the delta network enters its mid-holiday return peak, with 3.9 million passengers expected and 3.841 million sent on Oct 5. [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 ]
- Oct 6: China Railway Nanchang Group expects 1.55 million passengers in Jiangxi and Fujian and adds 397 trains, including 15 overnight high-speed services. [ 14 ]
- Oct 7: the last holiday day, with 4.15 million delta passengers expected, up 17.7% year on year. [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]
- Nationally, China Railway expects 24.15 million passengers on Oct 7 and plans 2,449 extra trains. [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]