BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese railways are bracing for the peak of return trips on the fourth day of a five-day May Day holiday, with the railway system expected to handle 20.3 million trips on Monday.

Passengers wait to board a train at Changzhou Railway Station in Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, April 29, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

To cater to the surging return trip demand on Monday, railway authorities have planned to arrange an additional 1,641 trains, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

According to the railway operator, top cities in terms of railway passenger flows on Monday include Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shanghai and Hangzhou, among others.

On Sunday, the railway system operated smoothly and handled about 18.6 million passenger trips, according to the railway operator.