China’s Railways Forecast 24.8 Million Passengers on October 1

What changed

China’s railways expect to carry 24.8 million passengers on October 1, the National Day holiday peak, and plan to add 2,324 passenger trains. That follows 19.542 million rail passengers on September 30, with demand concentrated on routes including Beijing–Shanghai, Shenzhen–Hong Kong and Guangzhou–Nanning.

Why it matters

The holiday travel surge is being managed with extra trains, but capacity will not be equally available everywhere. Some routes still have tickets through October 8, while others remain tight, particularly during the busiest periods.

China Railway will also run high-speed overnight services on selected routes through October 12, including Beijing–Shenzhen, Shanghai–Guangzhou and Chengdu–Shenzhen. That gives passengers more ways to move between major cities, but the 24.8 million forecast remains just that: a forecast, and it is still unclear whether the added capacity will fully absorb demand.

For anyone booking, Railway 12306 is the sole official online ticketing platform. Its waitlist system can accept up to 60 date-and-train combinations, with newly released seats assigned first to passengers who have submitted waitlist orders.