BEIJING -- 1,500 additional trains will be launched on average daily from April 27 to May 4 to tackle the rush of travelers around the May Day holiday, the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. said Saturday.

The group said it would have more than 10,500 passenger trains on average daily during the period.

China's official railway ticket-booking website, 12306.cn, and its mobile app had sold more than 46.57 million tickets for the holiday as of 2 p.m. Saturday.

The State Council, China's cabinet, has announced that this year's May Day holiday would be five days, from April 29 to May 3.