China's Railways Transport 1.86 Billion Passengers in First Five Months

　　During this period, the railways operated an average of 11,243 passenger trains daily, up 7.5% year-on-year. The railway authorities actively adapted to the national policy of fully relaxing and optimizing transit visa-free measures, facilitating travel for foreign passengers. From January to May, the railways carried 7.665 million foreign passengers, a 29.0% increase compared to the same period last year.

　　In terms of tourist train services, the railway authorities developed special tourist trains and elder-friendly silver-haired trains, promoting the concept of "trains heading to scenic spots." A total of 630 tourist special trains were operated nationwide from January to May, marking a 20.2% YoY increase. Regarding cross-boundary and cross-border passenger transport, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High Speed Railway carried 12.579 million cross-boundary passengers, up 16.7% year-on-year; the China-Laos Railway transported 124,000 cross-border passengers, an increase of 24.2%. International passenger trains connecting China with Mongolia, Russia and Vietnam were well operated, promoting cross-border people-to-people exchanges and economic and trade cooperation.

　　On station and onboard services, the railway authorities optimized the functions of the 12306 ticketing platform, launched new measures such as senior frequent traveler membership points discounts, and expanded new ticket types including multi-ride tickets and commuter passes to 71 routes. Quiet carriages were extended to 92 high-speed train services. Additionally, eight stations on the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway implemented third-generation social security card swipe payment for travel.