China sees record train-ticket sales as holidays approach

Passengers wait for trains at the waiting hall of Xuzhou East Railway Station in Xuzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 1, 2023. (Xinhua/Mao Jun)

BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) said on Saturday that it sold 22.88 million train tickets on Friday, setting a new record for single-day ticket sales.

Of the total, 20.95 million train tickets were sold on China's official railway ticket-booking website, 12306.cn, and its official app, according to China Railway.

Friday marks the presale of train tickets for the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, which extend from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6 this year.

Ticket sales volumes reflect the travel demands of the people and the trends in economic and social development, said an official of China Railway, adding that the record-breaking ticket sales on Sept. 15 are indicative of the strong demand for travel during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day "golden week" holiday.

China is expected to see 190 million railway trips during the upcoming 12-day travel rush, which will last from Sept. 27 to Oct. 8. The Mid-Autumn Festival, falling on Sept. 29 this year, is a traditional Chinese Festival usually marked by family reunions, watching the full moon and eating mooncakes.