Episode Details

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