BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's railway network handled 4.13 billion passenger trips in the first 10 months of the year, up 4.7 percent year on year and the highest for the period on record, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) said on Saturday.
The rise reflects increased capacity, improved services and stronger support for tourism and international passenger services.
During the January-October period, the railway operator ran an average of 11,670 passenger trains per day, up 5 percent year on year, according to the company.
Both passenger trips and passenger transport capacity hit single-day records on Oct. 1, the first day of the National Day holiday, with 25.2 million passenger trips recorded and 14,885 trains operated.
Beyond regular passenger services, railway authorities have been promoting the integration of rail and tourism. In the first 10 months of 2026, 3,236 dedicated tourism trains were operated, while an additional 1,084 special trains were arranged for concerts, sports events, exhibitions and study tours.
These efforts are part of a broader drive to stimulate service consumption and support local economies along rail corridors.
Cross-border passenger services also grew strongly in the period. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway carried 29.23 million cross-border passengers, up 11 percent year on year, while the China-Laos Railway handled 289,000 cross-border passengers, up 33 percent.
China's railways also saw a surge in foreign visitors. A total of 22.52 million foreign passenger trips were made on the national rail network in the first 10 months of 2026, up 32.9 percent year on year, as more international travelers opted to "tour China by train."
Official data showed that by the end of 2025, the country's total operating railway mileage had reached 165,000 km, including more than 50,000 km of high-speed rail.
China's high-speed rail network is projected to hit 70,000 km by 2035, featuring eight north-south vertical lines and eight east-west horizontal lines. Once complete, the network will connect major cities, city clusters and key economic zones across the country. ■
