As the Qingming Festival approaches, Shantou Railway Station is adding 76 extra high-speed train services during the holiday to meet the rising travel demand.
The 2025 Qingming holiday railway transport period spans five days from April 3 to April 7. Shantou Railway Station is expected to handle approximately 210,000 passengers during this period, marking a 16% year-on-year increase. The peak travel day is forecasted to be April 4, with an estimated 43,000 passengers, an 88% increase compared to last year.
"To meet travel demand during the Qingming holiday, Shantou Railway Station is increasing transport capacity and continuously adjusting its operational plans based on ticket presales and waiting list data. A total of 76 additional high-speed train services have been scheduled, including seven overnight bullet trains, mainly serving routes to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhangjiajie," said a station official. In addition to adding trains, railway authorities will deploy double-unit train operations on select services to further enhance passenger capacity.
Also, according to China Railway Guangzhou Group, between April 3 and April 7, the group expects to transport approximately 11.6 million passengers, reflecting a 4.4% year-on-year increase. The peak travel day will be April 4, with an estimated 2.85 million passengers, representing a 4.9% increase and setting a new record for the same period in history.
This year's Qingming Festival travel demand will be driven mainly by short-distance tomb-sweeping trips, combined with an increase in spring outing tourism, creating a dual peak in passenger flow. The distribution of passenger flow will show clear spatial and temporal patterns.
In the two days before the holiday (April 2–3), passenger flows will radiate outward from major cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Changsha, spreading to surrounding towns and neighboring provinces, including northern and eastern Guangdong, southern Hunan, and western Hunan. The return travel flow (April 6–7) will be characterized by multiple waves and a more dispersed distribution
Author | Chen Longyan
Photo | Nanfang Plus
Editor | Huang Qini, James, Shen He
