China’s railway network handled 3.95 billion passenger trips in the first 10 months of this year, up 6.4 percent year on year, according to the country's railway operator.
This figure sets a record for the same period in history, said China State Railway Group, adding that a new all-time single-day record was made on October 1, with 23.132 million passenger trips handled.
To meet the surging travel demand, the national railway has been dynamically optimizing its train schedules, and advancing the integration of rail and tourism, with a significant increase in specialized tourist trains for elderly people and themed journeys, including family-friendly tours.
From January to October, a total of 2,049 such tourist trains were operated, a year-on-year increase of 28.1 percent, contributing significantly to the growth of service-related consumption.
Passenger services have also seen substantial upgrades to improve the travel experience.
Eligible passengers, including students, children, and disabled military personnel, can now receive an additional discount on top of already reduced fares for high-speed train tickets. Members of the railway aged 60 and over now earn triple the standard points on their trips, while members aged 14 to 28 receive double points.