Chongqing North Railway Station Waiting Hall (Photo/Wang Liang)
Chongqing - The five-day May Day holiday will see a peak in passenger traffic at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport and the railway stations.
The rail transport period for the May Day holiday this year will run from April 29 to May 6, lasting eight days. Chongqing railway stations are expected to handle 2.2 million passenger trips, with a daily average of 275,000 passenger trips, marking a 5.6% year-on-year increase, according to Chongqing railway authority on April 28. The highest passenger traffic is anticipated on May 1, with an expected 320,000 passenger trips on that day.
In response to the increased passenger flow, Chongqing railway stations have flexibly arranged additional capacity. Some popular routes will feature extra bullet trains and double-decking of existing bullet trains. A total of 327 additional trains and 804 doubled trains have been scheduled to provide more travel options and ensure capacity for holiday travelers, the authorty added.
With a noticeable increase in railway passenger traffic during the holiday, Chongqing railway stations will continue to optimize its passenger services. The stations will analyze peak travel times in advance and, based on real-time passenger flow data, dynamically adjust ticket sales windows, security checkpoints, and improve waiting capacity to streamline passenger entry, exit, and transfer within the station, ensuring smooth travel for all passengers, the railway authority noted.
Attracted by the 240-hour visa-free transit policy and Chongqing's unique tourism and cultural offerings, many foreign visitors are choosing to travel to Chongqing.
Foreign visitors entering through Chongqing are expected to mainly come from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea, with the primary purposes being sightseeing and visiting friends or relatives, the authority added.
Popular outbound routes include Chongqing to Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, and Milan, with Chinese mainland residents mainly traveling to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Italy.
Liu Chengchao, Deputy Team Leader of the First Duty Team at the Chongqing General Station of Immigration Inspection, stated that the general station will monitor passenger flow in real time, release updates on border clearance status to provide travelers with information.
Sufficient personnel will be deployed, inspection channels will be fully operational, emergency plans will be optimized, and preparedness for handling emergencies will be ensured. The general station aims to ensure that Chinese citizens can clear immigration in under 30 minutes, maintaining smooth, safe, and orderly operations at the border, Liu added.
(Chongqing Daily and Diyiyan TV-CQNEWS contributed to this report.)