Rail network expects 83m passenger trips during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday

China's railway network is expected to handle 83 million passenger trips during the five-day Dragon Boat Festival travel rush, which began on Thursday and will run through Monday, according to China State Railway Group, the national railway operator.

The peak is expected on Friday, when around 19 million passenger trips are forecast, the company said.

Holiday travel demand is being driven mainly by family visits and tourism, with medium- and short-distance trips accounting for a large share, the company said. Major departure cities include Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Wuhan, while Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shanghai are among the most popular destinations.

To meet rising demand, railway authorities plan to operate about 13,000 passenger trains per day on average, using additional services, coupled with high-speed trains and extra carriages on conventional trains. Night high-speed trains will be added on major corridors, including Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou, and Beijing-Harbin, during peak periods.

The railway sector will also operate 44 tourism trains, including services linked to scenic routes, cultural attractions and holiday events.

Authorities said they will strengthen station management, services for key passenger groups and coordination with local transport, while adjusting operations in response to rainfall in parts of northern, northeastern and southern China.