The total Inter-regional passenger trips across China during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, also known as chunyun, are expected to hit a record high of 9.5 billion, Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said in Beijing on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference, Li said the travel rush will last 40 days from February 2 to March 13.

"Based on comprehensive analysis, the total inter-regional passenger trips across the country are projected to reach 9.5 billion, setting a new record high. Self-driving is expected to remain the predominant mode of travel, accounting for around 80 percent of the total. Railway trips are forecasted to reach 540 million, while civil aviation is estimated to handle 95 million passenger trips. Both the overall volume and daily peak numbers for rail and air travel are expected to exceed historical records for the same period," said Li.

The Spring Festival travel rush, the world's largest annual human migration, always witness an immense surge in transportation demand as hundreds of millions of people journey home for family reunions.

This year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on February 17.