BEIJING — China's railway traffic picked up ahead of the five-day May Day holiday as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues to ease, the latest data showed.

Total train trips nationwide hit 5.59 million on April 30, the day before the May Day holiday, a daily record high since the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday ended in early February, according to data from the China State Railway Group Co Ltd (China Railway).

Noting that May 1 marks the first day of the five-day holiday, the company estimated the total railway trips across the country to top 7.2 million on May 1.

To meet the surging travel demand, China Railway has added 309 trains on May 1, while continuing to adhere to regular epidemic control measures to ensure safe and smooth travel.