China gears up for 2026 Spring Festival travel rush

China's 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, or chunyun, will begin on Feb. 2 and last for 40 days, with the total number of inter-regional passenger trips nationwide expected to reach a record high of 9.5 billion. Ahead of the peak travel season, transport authorities across the country have stepped up preparations, ranging from sign language training for railway volunteers, inspections of high-speed rail communication facilities, and maintenance of EMU trains, to safety checks led by model police officers. Road passenger vehicles are undergoing comprehensive inspections, while law enforcement officers are tightening supervision to curb violations. Staff across sectors remain on the front lines, refining safety measures and improving services to ensure smooth and safe journeys for millions of travelers returning home for the Spring Festival.

Photo taken on January 27, 2026 shows staff conducting maintenance on EMU trains at the Nanjing South EMU depot in Nanjing City, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Yang Suping/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on January 29, 2026 shows college student volunteers learning sign language under the guidance of an instructor at Huainan South Railway Station in Huainan City, east China's Anhui Province, in preparation for the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush. (Chen Bin/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken in the early hours of January 26, 2026 shows members of a youth task force from the Jincheng East communication section carrying out maintenance on leaky cables inside the Jueshan Tunnel along the Zhengzhou–Taiyuan High-Speed Railway in Jincheng City, north China's Shanxi Province. (Wang Wei/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on January 28, 2026 shows the service crew of the "Zijin" G66 train attending a service etiquette training session. (Su Yang/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on January 29, 2026 shows model police officer Yang Rende guiding his apprentice Zheng Chaohan to conduct a train safety inspection together with staff at the Fuzhou passenger carriage servicing facility in Jin'an District, Fuzhou City, east China's Fujian Province. (Xie Guiming/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on January 30, 2026 shows staff carrying out safety inspections on passenger vehicles at Suxin Express Passenger Station in Lianyungang City, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Geng Yuhe/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on the evening of January 27, 2026 shows staff checking interior facilities of train carriages at the Nanjing South EMU depot in Nanjing City, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xin Yi/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on January 30, 2026 shows transport law enforcement officers inspecting emergency exits of passenger vehicles at Beibei Bus Passenger Transport Center in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Qin Tingfu/Guangming Picture)