More than 280,000 trips expected on last day of May Day Holiday in China

May 2 is the last day of the three-day May Day Holiday in China, and there has been a huge surge in travelers returning home. Authorities estimate more than 12 millions rail trips will be made, with extraordinarily heavy passenger flows between big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Nearly 600 extra departures have been added to meet the demand. A travel peak is also being seen on highways. Surveillance video captured line-ups stretching kilometers leading to the nation’s capital. Similar situations are also reported in provinces including Hebei, Shandong and Jiangsu. On the last day of the holiday, some 280,000 trips are expected in and out of Beijing Capital Airport, on nearly 17,000 flights.

Some 12.9 million train trips were made in China on April 30, the first day of the three-day May Day holiday, exceeding the daily record set during the same period last year.
According to the China Railway Corporation, 8.5 percent more trips were made on April 30 than on the same day a year ago. Megacities including Beijing and Shanghai saw huge passenger flows. The corporation estimated 10.15 million trips nationwide on May 1.

Extra trains were put into service to cope with demand. Railway authorities have temporarily prolonged the operating time for online ticketing systems, and travelers can check vacant seat information and book tickets from the website half an hour before departure time.