Yangtze River Delta railways carry over 27.7 million passengers in National Day holiday
In short
Railways in China's Yangtze River Delta carried more than 27.7 million passengers during the October 1-7, 2026 National Day holiday, an average of over 3.95 million a day, China Railway Shanghai Group said. That was more than 1.36 million more than in the same period last year, a rise of over 5%. The 4.427 million passengers carried on October 1 were the most for a single day in any National Day holiday.
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Railways in the Yangtze River Delta carried more than 27.7 million passengers during the 2026 National Day holiday, which ran from October 1 to 7, China Railway Shanghai Group (上铁集团) said on October 8. Daily passenger numbers averaged more than 3.95 million. According to reports by CLS and China News Service, the total was more than 1.36 million passengers higher than in the same period last year, an increase of over 5%. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
On October 1 alone, the railways carried 4.427 million passengers. CLS and China News Service reported that this was the highest single-day figure of any National Day holiday. [ 1 , 4 ]
China News Service said trips to visit family, tourist travel and student travel overlapped over the holiday. Through trains from the region to Beijing, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Changsha, Nanchang and Xi'an were in high demand. Inside the region, there was strong demand for travel between Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Hefei and cities such as Suzhou, Yangzhou, Xuzhou, Lianyungang, Nantong, Ningbo, Jinhua, Huangshan and Wuhu. [ 3 ]
To meet demand, the operator ran a peak-season timetable and adjusted it daily under a "one day, one timetable" approach, using presale and waitlist data from the 12306 ticketing system, China News Service reported. Over the seven days it added 2,567 passenger trains, ran 2,706 coupled multiple-unit trains and attached 915 extra conventional-speed carriages. On several days at the start and end of the holiday it ran a total of 1,460 extra overnight high-speed trains. It also offered special trains for watching the Qiantang River tidal bore and chartered trains for fans of "Su Chao" (苏超). [ 3 ]
At peak times, stations in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Hefei and Ningbo kept their waiting areas open longer and stayed open overnight when needed. Shanghai Hongqiao and other stations worked with local transport authorities to extend metro and bus hours so that passengers arriving at night could make connections. Stations in Xuzhou, Changzhou, Ningbo and Huai'an offered priority passengers help with boarding and leaving the station. Huatie Travel Services (华铁旅服) added health-themed set meals and freshly made tea drinks to its catering. Shanghai South Station held a themed event with the Shanghai Light Music Orchestra (上海轻音乐团), and crews on some high-speed trains held National Day celebrations. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The figures, released by the regional railway operator and carried by official and business outlets, point to higher holiday rail travel than a year earlier. China News Service reported that the operator added thousands of trains and extra overnight high-speed services to meet demand.
Key facts
- Yangtze River Delta railways carried more than 27.7 million passengers during the 2026 National Day holiday, October 1 to 7. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Daily passenger numbers averaged more than 3.95 million. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The total was more than 1.36 million passengers higher than in the same period last year, an increase of over 5%. [ 1 , 4 ]
- On October 1 the railways carried 4.427 million passengers, a record for a single day of any National Day holiday. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Over the seven days the railways added 2,567 passenger trains, ran 2,706 coupled multiple-unit trains and attached 915 extra conventional-speed carriages. [ 3 ]
- A total of 1,460 extra overnight high-speed trains ran on several days at the start and end of the holiday. [ 3 ]
- The figures came from China Railway Shanghai Group. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- More than 27.7 million rail passengers were carried in the Yangtze River Delta during the October 1-7 holiday. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Daily passenger numbers averaged more than 3.95 million. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Passenger numbers rose by more than 1.36 million, or over 5%, from the same period last year. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The 4.427 million passengers on October 1 set a single-day record for National Day holidays. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The railways added 2,567 passenger trains and 1,460 overnight high-speed trains during the holiday. [ 3 ]
Still unclear
- How many passengers the region's railways carried in the 2025 National Day holiday. The documents give only the increase, not last year's total.
- What the "Su Chao" (苏超) fan charter trains served. China News Service names the chartered trains but does not describe the competition.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CLS reports that Yangtze River Delta railways carried more than 27.7 million passengers during the holiday, citing China Railway Shanghai Group. [ 1 ]
- Yicai carries the same headline figures. [ 2 ]
- China News Service publishes a detailed report on travel demand, extra trains and station services. [ 3 ]
- China News Service reports the year-on-year increase and the single-day record on October 1. [ 4 ]