A baggage cart moves across the snow-covered tarmac at Hangzhou International Airport on Jan 20. [Photo/IC]

East China's Zhejiang province is expected to reach a new peak in Spring Festival travel volume this year, with total passenger movements projected at 596 million during the 40-day travel rush, up nearly 5.7 percent from 2025.

With the Spring Festival holiday extended to nine days, demand for family reunions and leisure travel is expected to remain strong, resulting in multiple peak periods across different transport modes.

During this period, Zhejiang's rail network is expected to handle about 30.40 million passenger trips, an increase of around 3.8 percent year-on-year. To meet demand, railway authorities plan to operate 741.5 pairs of passenger trains — 20 more than last year — including 180.5 pairs of temporary services, up 10 pairs year-on-year.

A horse-shaped art installation made of fallen leaves is displayed outside Hangzhounan Railway Station in Hangzhou on Jan 22. [Photo/IC]

Airports across the province are expected to handle 10.6 million passenger trips during the travel rush, averaging about 265,000 passengers per day, up 5.3 percent year-on-year. With international flights gradually resuming and visa policies for popular overseas destinations easing, cross-border travel demand is expected to continue rising.

To ensure smooth travel, Zhejiang authorities have outlined four priorities:

strengthening monitoring and forecasting of weather conditions and passenger flows;

improving capacity allocation during peak periods, on key routes, and in rural areas;

tightening safety management with stricter standards and measures;

enhancing service quality to improve the overall travel experience and foster a safe, orderly, and welcoming environment.