China Railway Sees Record 224 Billion Passengers First Half 2025

In the first half of 2025, China's railway system achieved a remarkable milestone, recording 2.24 billion passenger trips, according to the national railway operator's announcement.

This figure represents a notable increase of 6.7 percent compared to the same timeframe in the previous year, reflecting the growing demand for rail transportation across the country.

During this six-month period, an impressive average of 11,183 trains operated daily, which is a 7.5 percent year-on-year rise.

Notably, the peak daily passenger traffic occurred on May 1, coinciding with the first day of the five-day May Day holiday, when over 23 million trips were recorded in a single day, achieving an unprecedented record.

The expansion in the number of international travelers has been significant, driven by the relaxation of visa policies. In the first half of 2025, foreign visitors made nearly 9.15 million train journeys within China, marking a substantial increase of 30.1 percent from the previous year.

Furthermore, cross-border railway transport experienced considerable growth as well. The China-Laos Railway reported 139,000 passenger trips during the same period, which reflects a year-on-year increase of 19.1 percent.