英语新闻丨Record trips expected ahead of travel rush

China's railway network is preparing for the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun, with passenger trips expected to reach a record high of 539 million during the 40-day period.

中国铁路网络正为2026年春节客运高峰（即春运）做准备，预计在为期40天的春运期间，旅客出行量将达到创纪录的5.39亿人次。

To cope with the travel peak, services have been introduced to improve convenience and accessibility, the country's top railway operator said on Sunday.

为应对出行高峰，中国国家铁路集团有限公司周日表示，已推出多项服务以提升便利性和可达性。

The Spring Festival travel season is the world's largest annual human migration. In recent years, some 9 billion passenger trips across all modes of transport have been recorded over the 40 days, reflecting both the cultural significance of the holiday and the scale of China's transportation system.

春节返乡潮是世界上规模最大的年度人口迁徙。近些年来，在为期40天的春运期间，各类交通工具的旅客运输总量达到约90亿人次，既彰显了这个节日的文化意义，也体现了中国交通运输体系的庞大规模。

According to China State Railway Group, from Feb 2 to March 13 the national rail network is expected to facilitate about 539 million passenger trips, a 5 percent increase year-on-year.

据中国国家铁路集团有限公司预测，2月2日至3月13日期间，全国铁路预计将运送旅客约5.39亿人次，同比增长5%。

Spring Festival will fall on Feb 17, and peak travel periods before and after the holiday are expected to coincide with a nine-day public holiday from Feb 15 to 23. Peak outbound travel before the festival is forecast for Feb 13, while the busiest return day is expected to be Feb 23.

春节将于2月17日到来，节前节后的出行高峰预计将与2月15日至23日的九天公共假期重合。节前出游高峰预计出现在2月13日，而返程高峰日则可能集中在2月23日。

Tickets for the first day of the travel rush will go on sale on Monday via the official 12306 ticketing platform.

春运首日车票将于周一通过12306官方售票平台开售。

To meet demand, railway authorities are making full use of China's expanding high-speed rail network, incorporating newly opened lines and stations, as well as additional Fuxing bullet trains, into a dedicated Spring Festival operating timetable.

为满足出行需求，铁路部门正充分利用中国不断扩大的高铁网络，将新开通线路和车站以及增开的复兴号列车纳入专门的春节运行时刻表。

At peak times, more than 14,000 passenger train services are expected to operate daily nationwide, with overall seating capacity increased by more than 5 percent from last year, the rail operator said.

铁路运营商表示，高峰时段全国每日将运行超过14000趟客运列车，整体座位容量较去年增加5%以上。

Extra services will be added on major high-speed lines, including the Beijing–Shanghai and Beijing–Guangzhou routes, with overnight high-speed trains scheduled on busy sections to ease congestion.

铁路运营商表示将在京沪、京广等主要高铁干线上增开列车，并在客流高峰区段安排夜间高铁运行，以缓解客流压力。

Cross-border passenger services linking the Chinese mainland with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and neighboring countries will continue to operate, supporting the steady recovery of cross-border travel during the holiday period.

连接中国内地与香港特别行政区及邻近国家的跨境客运服务将继续运营，为假期期间跨境旅行的稳步恢复提供支持。

Alongside capacity expansion, a range of passenger-oriented service upgrades ahead of the travel rush have been rolled out.

在扩容的同时，一系列面向乘客的升级服务已在出行高峰前推出。

The 12306 ticketing platform has introduced a time-limited free refund policy for mistakenly purchased tickets. Tools such as a ticket waiting list system have also been optimized, according to the operator. The system allows passengers to register purchase requests for sold-out trains and automatically receive tickets if additional seats or services are released. Targeted support has also been strengthened for students, migrant workers and elderly travelers to help them secure tickets during peak periods.

12306售票平台推出限时免费退票政策，针对误购车票的情况。据运营商透露，候补购票系统等工具也已得到优化。该系统允许乘客登记购买售罄列车的购票需求，若后续释放出额外座位或服务，系统将自动为乘客获取车票。针对学生、农民工及老年旅客等群体，平台还加强了专项支持力度，帮助他们在高峰期顺利购票。

Railway authorities have said they will rely on real-time data analysis to dynamically adjust ticket allocations, release additional seats when demand surges and prioritize passengers on waiting lists when new tickets become available.

铁路部门表示，将依托实时数据分析动态调整车票分配，在需求激增时释放额外座位，并在新车票释放时优先安排候补乘客。

To further improve the travel experience, the railway network is expanding its "quiet carriage" service, which offers designated cars for passengers seeking a calmer onboard environment. First piloted on select high-speed routes, the service will be made available on some 8,000 trains nationwide from Feb 1.

为进一步提升乘车体验，铁路网络正扩大“安静车厢”服务范围，为寻求更宁静乘车环境的乘客提供专属车厢。该服务最初在部分高铁线路试行，自2月1日起将在全国约8000列列车上全面推行。

On trains offering the service, the option is marked with a "quiet" label on the 12306 ticketing interface. Passengers must agree to the relevant rules before purchasing tickets for these carriages.

在提供该服务的列车上，该选项在12306购票界面标有“安静”标签。乘客购买此类车厢车票前须同意相关规定。

Under the rules, passengers are required to keep noise levels low, set mobile phones and other electronic devices to silent or vibrate, use headphones when listening to audio and leave the carriage when making or taking phone calls.

根据规定，乘客须保持低噪音，将手机及其他电子设备调至静音或振动模式，使用耳机收听音频，并需离开车厢接听或拨打电话。

Passengers traveling with children must ensure they do not cause disturbances. Train staff may intervene when necessary to maintain order and a relatively quiet onboard environment.

携带儿童的乘客须确保其行为不扰乱车厢秩序。列车工作人员必要时将采取干预措施，以维持车厢秩序及相对安静的环境。