China's Ministry of Transport was expecting 235.43 million cross-regional passenger trips to be made on Friday, the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, up 1.9 percent year-on-year.
Railway passenger trips were projected to reach 19.75 million, an 18 percent increase from a day earlier and a 9 percent rise compared with the same period last year, as holiday travel demand peaks.
Road transport remained the dominant mode of travel, with an estimated 212.83 million passenger trips, up 8.3 percent day-on-day and 1.4 percent year-on-year.
Waterway passenger trips were forecast to reach 980,000, surging 58.9 percent from the previous day and up 2.2 percent year-on-year.
However, there was expected to be a dip in the number of those traveling by plane, with passenger figures projected to total 1.87 million, down 14.1 percent day-on-day and 2.4 percent from a year earlier.
Transport authorities said they would be monitoring major routes, transport hubs and popular destinations to ensure safe and orderly travel during the holiday.
