China's railways are predicted to handle 12.6 million passenger trips on Friday, the second day of the New Year holiday, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

Railway authorities have scheduled 785 additional passenger trains across the country on Friday to accommodate the increased travel demand.

The group said that the national railway system handled a total of 18.56 million passenger trips in a safe and orderly manner on the New Year's Day, which was anticipated as the busiest day of the five-day holiday travel rush running from Dec 31, 2025 to Jan 4, 2026.

Major rail travel hubs are no less bustling on Friday. The Yangtze River Delta railway network is primarily serving essential travel needs such as tourism, family visits, and commuting, with an estimated 2.65 million passenger trips to be transported.

In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, cross-border passenger traffic is surging, with an expected 300,000 cross-border passenger trips during the New Year holiday -- a year-on-year increase of 30 percent.

In southwest China's Chengdu-Chongqing region, the Chengdu Railway Bureau has planned to operate over 1,000 pairs of passenger trains on Friday, anticipating to handle 1.6 million trips.

Heavy snow has affected railway transportation in the central regions of China. In Hubei Province, the Xiangyang Locomotive Depot of China Railway Wuhan Bureau has intensified inspections and maintenance of critical components such as braking systems and the high-voltage equipment on electric locomotive roofs.

The snowfall has turned Qinling Mountains into a fairytale winter wonderland, making it a more popular destination among Chinese holidaymakers. To cope with the increased demand for railway service, the China Railway Xi'an Bureau has strengthened support at key stations along the mountains.

In Henan Province, railway stations have upgraded their dining areas to ensure that passengers have access to warm food and hot water during temperature drops.