Spring Festival traveler volume grows nearly 15%
2026-03-17 20:03:17
By Chen Si
Yichang's Spring Festival travel rush in 2026 recorded 5.53 million passengers, a nearly 15 percent increase from last year.
The Yichang Railway Department of China Railway Wuhan Group reported a record-high cumulative passenger volume of 2.45 million during the 40-day period ending March 13, up 12.2 percent year-on-year.
This year marked the first participation of the newly opened Wuhan-Yichang and Xiangyang-Jingmen high-speed railways in the Spring Festival travel rush.
Key stations reported strong traffic: Yichang East Station handled 914,000 passengers, Yichangbei Station served 125,000, and Jingmen West Station saw a 51.3 percent year-on-year increase to 192,000 passengers. Enshi Station served 449,000, and Lichuan Station welcomed 238,000—both setting new records.
Notably, February 23 was the peak day, with the 15 passenger stations under the department handling 124,000 passengers in a single day, breaking the previous record for the Spring Festival travel rush.
In addition to rail travel, the waterway sector experienced significant activity. Data from the Yangtze River Three Gorges Navigation Authority indicated that the Three Gorges Hub operated its ship locks 1,408 times, facilitating the passage of 4,020 vessels and 15.49 million tons of cargo.
Yichang's Spring Festival travel rush in 2026 recorded 5.53 million passengers, a nearly 15 percent increase from last year.
The Yichang Railway Department of China Railway Wuhan Group reported a record-high cumulative passenger volume of 2.45 million during the 40-day period ending March 13, up 12.2 percent year-on-year.
This year marked the first participation of the newly opened Wuhan-Yichang and Xiangyang-Jingmen high-speed railways in the Spring Festival travel rush.
Key stations reported strong traffic: Yichang East Station handled 914,000 passengers, Yichangbei Station served 125,000, and Jingmen West Station saw a 51.3 percent year-on-year increase to 192,000 passengers. Enshi Station served 449,000, and Lichuan Station welcomed 238,000—both setting new records.
Notably, February 23 was the peak day, with the 15 passenger stations under the department handling 124,000 passengers in a single day, breaking the previous record for the Spring Festival travel rush.
In addition to rail travel, the waterway sector experienced significant activity. Data from the Yangtze River Three Gorges Navigation Authority indicated that the Three Gorges Hub operated its ship locks 1,408 times, facilitating the passage of 4,020 vessels and 15.49 million tons of cargo.
Tourists visit the Three Gorges Ship Lift during the Spring Festival. Photo by Zou Binbin
The river transport service at the hub increased 75.3 percent year-on-year, serving nearly 818,000 passengers.
Air travel also thrived. Yichang Sanxia International Airport handled 3,479 aircraft, a 3.3 percent increase from last year, and transported 430,000 passengers, an 11.8 percent rise, both setting historical records.
International routes remained popular, with 68 flights carrying 9,700 passengers, 54.5 percent of whom were foreign nationals.
Demand was strong throughout the period, with the airport exceeding 10,000 daily passengers on 27 days. February 22 marked a new operational record, with 14,646 passengers.
