China Hits Single-Day Rail Passenger Record on May Day
By Reuters | 02 May, 2026

The 24.8 million passengers carried by China's ultra-modern rail system on May 1 will be followed by 19.7 million on May 2, for another record.

People walk on a platform after disembarking from a train at Shanghai South Railway Station during the five-day Labour Day holiday in Shanghai, China May 4, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura

China's railway network transported 24.8 million passengers on May 1, setting a new single-day record, according to data from the China State Railway Group.

A report on Saturday in the official Xinhua news agency said the national railway system is also expected to transport 19.7 million passengers on May 2.

Some lines had to add new trains to handle the holiday passengers, Xinhua reported.

The Zhengzhou line added 140 passenger trains, and the Chengdu line added 184, Xinhua said.

China's tourism market is a bright spot in domestic demand, injecting momentum into a national economy facing pressure from weak consumption and a prolonged property downturn.

(Reporting by Engen Tham and Casey Hall in Shanghai; Editing by Tom Hogue)