Train tickets for China's upcoming Spring Festival travel rush went on sale Tuesday via the 12306 ticket booking system, according to the country's railway operator.
Also known as Chunyun, the travel rush is a period of high transportation demand as people return home for family reunions.
The 2025 Chunyun will last from Jan. 14 to Feb. 22, according to China State Railway Group Co. Ltd.
Train tickets are available for purchase up to 15 days prior to departure. Consequently, the sale of tickets for Chinese New Year's Eve, which falls on Jan. 28 this year, will begin Jan. 14.
The sale of return tickets for Feb. 4, the last day of this year's Spring Festival holiday, will start from Jan. 21, and return tickets for the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12 can be purchased starting from Jan. 29.
For this year's Spring Festival travel season, the ticket system has been enhanced with a new feature that automatically places ticket orders for customers 17 days in advance.
Each applicant can pre-file up to six orders, with each order containing a list of up to nine passengers. Sixteen days prior to departure, the 12306 ticket system will send text messages to users so that they could adjust their preferred train priorities, confirm booking information, and choose whether to pre-pay for the tickets. Fifteen days before the departure, when the tickets go on sale, the system will automatically submit the orders based on user preferences.
Submissions will be sequenced in chronological order along with other purchase methods. If the system successfully completes the transaction, it will automatically refund overpayments. If the system fails to book the tickets, it will refund the entire payment without any charges.
Starting Sunday, China will implement new train schedules. Under these revisions, Shenzhen North Railway Station is set to operate 992 trains, which includes 14 new routes. Among the changes, the station will introduce direct high-speed sleeper services connecting Shenzhen with Guangyuan in Sichuan Province.
About 9 billion inter-regional trips are expected to be made in China during the Spring Festival travel rush. The railway network will transport 510 million passengers, up from 480 million registered during the 2024 Chunyun.
The Spring Festival, China's biggest traditional festival, will fall on Jan. 29 in 2025.