During the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, waterborne passenger trips on the Hunan section of the Yangtze River Grand Canal totaled 96,000.

March 17, 2026

People's Network-Hunan Channel

770

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During the 40-day Spring Festival in 2026, the waterway passenger transport in the Hunan section of the Yangtze River showed a strong growth trend. According to statistics, the total number of passengers sent reached 96000, an increase of 11.6 percent over the same period last year, and the volume of vehicle transit also reached more than 39000, an increase of 19.8 percent over the same period last year. This growth not only reflects the improvement of regional economic and social vitality and the increasingly close personnel exchanges, but also highlights the irreplaceable role of water transportation in the comprehensive transportation system. In order to ensure the safety and smoothness of the Spring Festival transportation, Yueyang Maritime Safety Administration, as the main supervision and service unit, has taken a series of effective measures: first, to strengthen safety supervision and carry out full coverage safety inspection on passenger (ferry) ships in operation; second, to improve the efficiency of navigation security, make full use of VTS, CCTV video monitoring and other information means, strengthen the traffic organization of key waters and time periods, and timely release navigation information through VHF and intelligent management platform; the third is to actively carry out on-site services, including ferry garrison, ship inspection, maintenance of boat order, and provide assistance and heart-warming volunteer services for key passengers such as the old, the young, the sick, the disabled, and the pregnant, so as to fully escort the safe, orderly, convenient and smooth travel on the water during the Spring Festival.

　　People's Daily Online, Changsha, March 17th – On March 13th, reporters learned from the Yueyang Maritime Bureau that during the 40-day Spring Festival travel season in 2026, passenger traffic on the waterway of the Hunan section of the Yangtze River trunk line saw a significant increase. The total number of passengers sent reached 96,000, an increase of 11.6% compared to the same period last year, and over 39,000 vehicles were ferried, a year-on-year growth of 19.8%.

　　"The significant growth in waterway passenger transport not only reflects the increasing vitality of the regional economy and society and the closer interactions among people but also highlights the irreplaceable role of waterway transportation in the comprehensive transport system," said a relevant official from the Yueyang Maritime Bureau. To cope with the peak passenger flow, the bureau has intensified safety supervision, implementing comprehensive safety inspections on passenger (ferry) vessels in operation. Additionally, it has enhanced navigation support efficiency by fully utilizing information technology tools such as VTS and CCTV video monitoring to strengthen traffic organization in key waterways and during critical periods. Navigation information is promptly released through channels like "very high frequency" and intelligent management platforms to guide vessels for orderly navigation.

　　Meanwhile, as the main regulatory and service support unit in the jurisdiction, the Yueyang Maritime Bureau has actively carried out stationing at ferry terminals and onboard inspections, maintained order for passengers boarding and disembarking, assisted key passengers such as the elderly, children, the sick, disabled, and pregnant, and provided warm-hearted volunteer services. They have made every effort to ensure safe, orderly, convenient, and smooth waterway travel during the Spring Festival travel season. (Liu Bin, Liu Lefen)

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During the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, waterborne passenger trips on the Hunan section of the Yangtze River Grand Canal totaled 96,000.