Train tickets for the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, or chunyun, went on sale on January 19, 2026.

 

 

The 2026 chunyun will last 40 days, running from February 2 to March 13, 2026. The railway system across China is expected to record 539 million passenger trips. The peak travel days are projected to be February 13 (the 26th day of the 12th lunar month) before the holiday and February 23 (the 7th day of the 1st lunar month) after the holiday.

 

 

Chunyun, a uniquely Chinese phenomenon of mass population shift, is described as the “largest human migration in the world”. The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is a traditional celebration of the Chinese nation. During the festival, countless people living away from home return to their hometowns to reunite with their families.

 

 

The Spring Festival holiday of 2026 will last nine days, from February 15 (Sunday, the 28th day of the 12th lunar month) to 23 (Monday, the 7th day of the 1st lunar month). Currently, train tickets are available for sale 15 days in advance (including the day of purchase). If you have any travel plans during the period, please be sure to book tickets early to avoid the travel peak.

 

 

China State Railway Group has recently introduced new services, including a service that allows free refunds within a limited time for wrong tickets purchased accidentally and an expanded “quiet carriage” service.

 

 

Starting January 19, a time-limited free refund service for wrong tickets purchased accidentally is available for passengers. When passengers buy tickets through the “12306” ticket booking platform for departures on or after February 2, they can request refunds online at no charge for accidentally purchased wrong tickets within 30 minutes of payment and at least four hours prior to the scheduled departure time.

 

 

Starting February 1, the “quiet carriage” service will be expanded to include D-series and G-series EMU trains, except for high-speed sleeper trains. The expansion will bring the total number of trains offering “quiet carriages” across China to over 8,000.

 

Edited by Zhang Yuanlin

Source: Home in Chengdu