What’s new: China’s railways handled more than 86 million trips in the two weeks ahead of this year’s Lunar New Year, the busiest travel period each year, according to China State Railway Group Co. Ltd.
The figure represents a 65% jump from last year’s holiday travel rush but is still 40% below the pre-pandemic level of 2019.
As of Jan. 30, the day before the Lunar New Year Eve, 380 million people traveled via all transportation modes for this year’s holiday season, up 47.4% from 2021 and down 65.8% from 2020, data from the Ministry of Transportation showed.
The context: Analysts predicted a smaller travel rush this year due to recurrent Covid-19 outbreaks in many parts of the country.
To contain a rash of flare-ups, authorities have implemented measures such as Covid-19 testing requirements and mandatory quarantines, discouraging many from traveling. The government is also calling on people to stay put and “celebrate in place.”
Before the pandemic, Lunar New Year celebrations would involve as many as 3 billion trips across China in the world's largest annual human migration.
The Transport Ministry estimated that a total of 1.18 billion trips would be made this year by road, train, plane and boat before and after this year’s holiday.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bob.simison@caixin.com)
Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
