Passengers wait to board a train to Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture at Kunming Station in Yunnan province on Saturday. LIU RANYANG/CHINA NEWS SERVICE

China's summer travel season, which concluded on Saturday, saw record-breaking passenger numbers, China State Railway Group, the national railway operator, said on Sunday.

31日，2024年铁路暑运迎来收官之日。

From July 1 to Aug 31, the railway network facilitated 887 million passenger trips, a 6.7 percent increase from last year.

中国国家铁路集团有限公司（以下简称“国铁集团”）数据显示，7月1日至8月31日，全国铁路累计发送旅客8.87亿人次，同比增长6.7%，创历史同期新高。

The network saw an average of 14.31 million passenger trips per day, a new high for the summer season. From Aug 10 to 12, the system handled more than 16 million passengers each day.

数据显示，暑运期间全国铁路日均发送旅客1431.2万人次，创暑运旅客发送量历史新高。其中，8月10日至12日连续3天单日客流超1600万人次。

This year's summer travel saw a surge in passengers, driven by university students leaving campuses, tourists, and travelers visiting family. To accommodate demand, the railway department optimized train schedules and expanded both high-speed and regular-speed train services. An average of 10,905 passenger trains operated each day — an increase of 636 trains, or 6.2 percent more than last year.

受大学生离校、假期旅游以及探亲游客的推动，今年夏季旅游客流量激增。暑运期间，铁路部门统筹高速铁路和普速铁路资源，全力挖潜扩能，动态优化列车开行方案，日均安排开行旅客列车10905列，同比增加636列、增长6.2%。

Railway authorities utilized data from the 12306 ticketing system to dynamically adjust operations, including adding extra trains and carriages, and running double sets of high-speed trains during peak times and on popular routes.

铁路部门依托铁路12306售票和候补购票大数据，深入分析出行需求，采取增开临客、动车组重联、普速旅客列车加挂车厢等方式，及时增加热门时段、方向和区间运力供给。

Cross-border passenger transport also saw significant growth. The China-Laos Railway handled 45,600 cross-border passengers, up 78.1 percent year-on-year, and the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Railway saw 5.18 million crossings, a year-on-year increase of 10.7 percent.

在跨境旅客运输组织方面，中老铁路、广深港高铁香港段累计发送跨境旅客4.56万人、518.4万人，同比分别增长78.1%、10.7%。

Service upgrades were also implemented to enhance travel experiences. The 12306 ticketing system introduced new features, including a service that allowed students to reserve tickets in advance for themselves and two companions. A total of 14.3 million student tickets were sold during the summer season.

铁路12306客户端推出“学生预约购票服务”“学生出行需求采集”新功能，学生旅客可为本人和2名同行乘车人提前预约购票，暑运期间累计发售学生票1432.3万张。

In response to the increased number of child passengers, railway departments introduced several safety measures.

暑运期间，儿童旅客数量大幅增加。铁路部门针对儿童旅客推出爱心服务，保障平安、温馨出行。

Throughout the summer season, China Railway prioritized safety, particularly in response to natural disasters such as heavy rains and floods. Strict measures were implemented to inspect and maintain railway infrastructure, ensuring the safety and reliability of rail services, and emergency plans were promptly activated to address extreme weather conditions, minimizing the impact on railway operations.

在整个夏季，中国铁路部门始终把安全放在首位，特别是在应对暴雨和洪水等自然灾害时。严格检查和维护铁路基础设施，确保铁路服务安全可靠，及时启动应对极端天气的应急预案，最大限度地减少对铁路运营的影响。