People rest on benches as they wait for their train to arrive at the Beijing railway station on January 28, 2021. (NOEL CELIS / AFP)

BEIJING - The number of passenger trips dropped by 75.2 percent year on year to 17.58 million on Friday, the second day of the Spring Festival travel rush amid stringent epidemic control measures, official data showed.

Passengers made 2.83 million railway trips on the day, down by 77.2 percent from one year earlier, according to the Ministry of Transport

The number of railway passenger trips also took a nosedive as passengers made 2.96 million railway trips on Saturday, while a total of 3.08 million and 2.83 million trips were registered on Thursday and Friday, respectively, according to the China State Railway Group Co, Ltd (China Railway).

Trips made in the first three days of the usual travel peak were down nearly 75 percent year on year, the group said, forecasting a similar plunge on Sunday as some 2.9 million people are expected to ride trains.

The country reported 13.97 million road trips and 287,000 trips through waterway transportation, which decreased by 75.1 percent and 51.1 percent year on year, respectively.

The civil aviation sector operated 492,000 passenger trips, registering a 73.2-percent yearly decline, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) data showed.

ALSO READ: Stricter measures introduced for Spring Festival travel rush

To reduce the flow of personnel and curb the spread of the epidemic, many places across China have encouraged residents and migrant workers to stay put for the festival. 

Despite this, railway, electric power, civil aviation and other departments continue to guarantee travel services, implement epidemic prevention and control measures, and strengthen safety inspections.

READ MORE: Less holiday travel to aid with recovery

At some railway stations, large-scale disinfection and cleaning work continued effectively. Robots for contact-free temperature screening have also greatly enhanced travel efficiency, according to the MOT.