According to the Ministry of Transport, the total cross-regional passenger flow on Lunar New Year's Eve, February 16, 2026, is expected to reach 222.57 million person-times, an increase of 8.9% compared to the same period in 2025. This demonstrates the continued vitality of a mobile China amidst the anticipation of family reunions.
Road travel remains the primary mode of transportation. Data shows that the total passenger flow on roads on Lunar New Year's Eve (including non-commercial passenger vehicle travel on expressways and ordinary national and provincial highways, and commercial passenger transport) is expected to reach 212.73 million person-times, an increase of 9.6% compared to the same period in 2025, accounting for over 90% of the total cross-regional passenger flow. Among them, non-commercial passenger vehicle travel on expressways and ordinary national and provincial highways is expected to reach 194.89 million person-times, an increase of 9% year-on-year, indicating that self-driving remains the preferred mode of transportation for people returning home or visiting relatives on Lunar New Year's Eve. Commercial passenger transport is expected to reach 17.84 million person-times, an increase of 16.2% year-on-year, highlighting the continued recovery in passenger transport demand for trunk line connections and urban-rural travel. Besides highways, railways, civil aviation, and waterways worked together to create a comprehensive network for family reunions. On railways, passenger volume on Lunar New Year's Eve was estimated at 7.1 million, a decrease of 8.5% compared to the same period in 2025; civil aviation passenger volume was estimated at 1.93 million, an increase of 4.5% year-on-year; and waterway passenger volume saw a significant increase, estimated at 810,000, an increase of 37.9% year-on-year.
On February 15th (the 14th day of the Spring Festival travel rush, the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month), the pre-holiday travel peak arrived. The total cross-regional passenger flow reached 286.397 million, an increase of 10.7% compared to the same period in 2025. From the travel peak on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month to the smooth and orderly flow on Lunar New Year's Eve, the Spring Festival travel rush exhibited a clear rhythm and efficient scheduling, thanks to the steadfast efforts and guarantees of the entire national transportation system.
Transportation departments across my country are closely monitoring key road sections and transportation hubs, accurately assessing passenger flow changes, refining measures to ensure smooth traffic flow, and upgrading convenient services to safeguard the journeys of families reuniting with their loved ones.
In response to the concentrated self-driving travel and large-scale traffic during the Spring Festival holiday, the Hebei transportation department has introduced a drone patrol and intelligent dispatch system. Once peak traffic or accidents are detected, drones provide aerial support, transmitting real-time panoramic images of the scene and activating an "aerial patrol + ground coordination" mechanism to divert traffic at the front end of congestion in advance, making the journey home for the Spring Festival safer and smoother.
In Wuhan, the local railway department, aiming for a "safe, orderly, and warm Spring Festival travel experience for passengers," has strengthened passenger flow organization and monitoring of key links, scientifically allocating transport capacity to ensure safe and orderly travel for passengers. In addition to implementing peak-hour train schedules, measures such as adding temporary trains, adding carriages to regular trains, running high-speed trains in double formation, and operating overnight high-speed trains have been taken to dynamically increase capacity in popular areas, routes, and time periods to maximize the satisfaction of passenger travel needs. In Beijing, to ensure safe and orderly passenger transport during the holiday, Beijing Railway Station and Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station, among others, have remained open, promptly guiding passengers arriving in the early morning who are not yet leaving the station to designated waiting areas. They also ensured necessary drinking water and restroom facilities, providing passengers with a warm resting environment. Beijing West Railway Station added nine self-service inquiry machines in various waiting rooms, set up free charging areas in the north and south second-floor halls and various waiting rooms, and installed physical barriers and flow control signs in the waiting hall corridors to avoid congestion. Beijing South Railway Station maintained the regular operation of its four fast-track entry halls, established "express lanes," expanded and renovated the south-level entrance, increasing its area by more than 130 square meters, and opened the south square for private vehicles to drop off passengers, effectively dispersing peak-hour traffic and further improving passenger entry efficiency.
