China's railways handled a record of 1.13 billion passenger trips in the first quarter of 2026, up 5.5 percent year on year, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. announced on Thursday.
During the period, the railway network nationwide operated an average of 12,072 passenger trains every day, up 7.1 percent year on year, as railway authorities optimized transport capacity and adjusted services to match travel demand, the company said.
New measures were rolled out to improve passenger services, including two additional one-way discounted tickets for 2026 college graduates, telephone booking services for elderly passengers via the 12306 customer service center, and limited-time free refunds for mistakenly purchased tickets, the operator added.
To meet spring travel demand, railways also expanded tourist train services and launched full-itinerary products such as ice-and-snow and wellness tours, tapping into cultural and tourism resources along railway lines.
A total of 627 tourist trains were operated nationwide in the first three months of 2026, supporting the development of tourism, silver economy and ice-and-snow economy, said the company.
"We have strengthened our collaborations with government departments, industry associations, ticketing platforms, and others to launch customized themed trains, such as 'music fan trains,' 'football fan trains,' 'study tour trains,' and 'flower-viewing trains.' These initiatives have boosted the 'themed train plus' economy, created new consumption scenarios, and promoted the development of new business models," said Zhang Tao, deputy director of the marketing department of the passenger transport center at China State Railway Group.
