Passenger travel on China’s trains experienced steady growth in the first four months of this year, with an increase in passenger volume and improvements in the quality of service, according to the national operator, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.
A total of 1.56 billion passenger rail trips were made throughout the country during the January-April period, which represents an increase of 6.8% compared to the same period last year, according to the same source.
As a result of the momentum represented by the growing enthusiasm of foreign visitors to travel through China, the country’s railway network recorded 7.83 million foreign passenger trips in the first four months of 2026, with an increase of 33.9% year-on-year, he said.
In this context, it is important to note that many foreign tourists arrive in China attracted by its millennial culture, its innovative proposal and its incredible tourist places such as the Great Wall of China – one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
The state railway company also said that it has expanded multilingual services and has introduced other travel amenities to meet the growing incoming demand driven by the expansion of the country’s visa waiver policies.
China has expanded its visa exemption policies for foreign travelers in recent years, allowing longer stays and greater freedom of movement, while introducing facilities such as the instant refund of taxes for visitors when leaving the country.
During this period, cross-border rail travel also continued to grow: The China-Laos railway carried 143,000 passengers, 36.3% more than a year ago, while the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway handled 11.78 million cross-border trips, with an increase of 14.8%, the company revealed.