Passengers travel through a railway station in Huai’an, East China’s Jiangsu Province, on October 3, 2026, during the National Day holidays. Photo: VCG

China entered the third day of the National Day holidays on Saturday with travel demand remaining strong, as the country’s railways expected to handle 18.9 million passenger trips amid concentrated short-haul demand, pointing to sustained holiday mobility after cross-regional passenger trips topped 300 million on Friday.

The seven-day National Day holidays run from October 1 to 7 this year, typically one of the country’s busiest travel periods, with demand concentrated across railways, highways, airports and major tourist destinations.

On Friday, road passenger trips were expected to exceed 280 million, with expressway traffic remaining at a high level. Travel was increasingly characterized by multi-stop trips between scenic spots and short-distance movement within regions. Railway passenger trips were estimated at 20.4 million, according to CCTV News.

China’s railways are expected to handle 18.9 million passenger trips on Saturday. Railway authorities across the country are adding services to meet concentrated short-haul demand, with 910 additional passenger trains planned and more intercity services running on popular routes.

Travel demand remained particularly strong in the Yangtze River Delta. China Railway Shanghai Group said on Saturday that it expected to handle 3.72 million passenger trips during the day. On Thursday, the first day of the holidays, the region’s railways carried 4.427 million passengers, a record single-day volume for the holidays.

Interprovincial cruises on the Yangtze River are also drawing more holiday travelers. CCTV News, citing the Changjiang River Administration of Navigational Affairs under the Ministry of Transport, reported that passenger traffic on interprovincial cruises along the river’s main stream is expected to reach 36,900 during the holidays, averaging 5,300 trips a day, up 15.22 percent year-on-year.

In Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong Province, land ports are expected to see a peak in two-way cross-border traffic of 1.09 million passenger trips on Saturday, according to Shenzhen border inspection authorities.

The strength of the third-day flows also underscored a shift in the holiday travel pattern. Traffic around major commercial districts and tourist attractions are expected to stay at high levels on Saturday, while sightseeing, city walks and short breaks continue to support travel demand, according to CCTV News.

Analysts said the sustained passenger flows, alongside stronger short-haul and regional travel, showed that holiday demand was broadening beyond the initial departure peak. That momentum is expected to support spending across tourism, dining, retail and leisure, adding fresh impetus to local consumption.

The Ministry of Transport expects that cross-regional passenger trips to reach 2.13 billion over the seven-day holidays, averaging about 300 million trips a day, or around 1.7 times the normal level.

Global Times