(Yicai) Jan. 17 -- A record nine billion trips are likely to be made in China during the upcoming Chinese New Year travel period, according to the transport ministry.

Between Jan. 26 and March 5, 1.8 billion people are expected to make journeys by air, rail, and water, while 7.2 billion will likely travel by road, a new high, Transport Vice Minister Li Yang said at a press conference yesterday.

Highways will be free of charge for nine days from Feb. 9, Li noted, adding that services such as group ticket reservations, bus chartering, and even train chartering will be provided.

A total of 480 million rail trips are expected during the travel rush, up 38 percent from last year and 18 percent from the pre-pandemic level in 2019, Huang Xin, head of the passenger transport department of China State Railway Group, said at the media briefing. Daily traffic will likely hit 12 million.

Meanwhile, 80 million are expected to travel by air, up 45 percent and 10 percent from the same periods last year and in 2019, respectively, Liang Nan, director of the transport department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said on Jan. 8.

Editors: Shi Yi, Futura Costaglione