China Sees Record Railway Trips, Buoying Outlook for Consumption

  • More than 21 million trips made on first day of holiday period
  • Traveler surge comes after Beijing unveiled stimulus package

Travelers at Nanjing Railway Station in Nanjing, China, on Oct. 1. 

Photographer: Costfoto/NurPhoto/Getty Images

China’s railway network saw a record number of trips made on the first day of its week-long holiday, offering early signs of a consumer spending pickup in the world’s second-biggest economy.

More than 21 million trips were made on Tuesday, when China kicked off its National Day holiday period, Xinhua News Agency reported. That’s a new single-day record, and another 18.2 million trips are expected on Wednesday.