China's National Day Travel Tops 334 Million Trips on Holiday's First Day

Cross-regional travel across China reached an estimated 334.1 million trips on October 1, the opening day of the weeklong National Day holiday, representing a 52.3 percent jump from the preceding day. Highways accounted for more than 90 percent of the volume, supported by toll exemptions for passenger cars. Rail transport exceeded initial official expectations, carrying over 25.2 million passengers as overnight bullet trains and 24-hour station operations were deployed to manage peak travel demand across major trunk lines.

First-day holiday travel figures serve as a critical barometer of consumer confidence, leisure spending, and overall domestic economic vitality in China. Transport volumes also put the country's logistical infrastructure and emergency management under intense scrutiny during one of the world's largest recurring mass transit events.

Cross-regional passenger journeys in China climbed to an estimated 334.1 million on October 1, marking the start of the weeklong National Day holiday with a 52.3 percent surge compared to the previous day, according to figures released by the Ministry of Transport. Road transport made up the vast majority of the day's traffic. Highway passenger volume reached an estimated 305.45 million trips, up 55.4 percent day on day, though edging down 1.1 percent compared to the same day last year. Traffic was boosted by a nationwide toll-free policy for small passenger vehicles with seven or fewer seats, which took effect at midnight on October 1. Expressway service stations and toll plazas added lanes and access ramps to mitigate bottlenecks. Railways experienced intense demand across major corridors. Although transport authorities initially projected 24.8 million railway passenger trips—a forecast 7.2 percent year-on-year increase—subsequent reporting by China News Service indicated actual railway dispatches reached 25.204 million passengers on the holiday's opening day. To handle the volume, operators scheduled 2,324 additional train runs and operated overnight high-speed services along major trunk routes connecting Beijing with Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Harbin. Key hub stations in Chengdu, Shanghai, and Guangzhou implemented 24-hour operations. Other modes of transport also saw single-day gains. Commercial aviation transported an estimated 2.51 million passengers across 19,982 scheduled flights on October 1, rising 2.4 percent over the previous day and up 0.3 percent from a year earlier. Waterway passenger volume was estimated at 1.34 million trips, marking a 63 percent day-on-day increase and a 1.4 percent year-on-year rise. In response to passenger volumes and seasonal maritime risks, maritime rescue and salvage divisions raised readiness levels to safeguard vessel operations against severe weather.