Local railway authorities urged to handle travel peak smoothly

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-21-2008 13:30

Passenger flow on China's railways is up substantially since the Spring Festival travel rush began a few days ago. The Ministry of Railways issued an emergency notice on Sunday, urging local railway authorities to step up measures to handle the travel peak smoothly.

To ease pressure in China's southern travel hub, all railway stations in Guangzhou have a 24 hour ticket office.

To ease pressure in China's southern travel hub, all railway stations in Guangzhou have a 24 hour ticket office. Tickets can be purchased two days prior to the date of departure. Currently, trips to most provincial capitals before January 29th are already sold out.

On Sunday alone, 400,000 people boarded trains in Beijing. This is 30 percent more than the same time last year. All ticket windows at the Beijing Railway Station, including temporary ones, have been opened.

In northwest China's Shaanxi Province, most highways are closed by heavy snow. This is forcing travellers onto trains even for short-distance trips. And, as university students start going home the pressure keeps building on the province's railways.

In other travel hubs such as Shanghai, Wuhan and Zhengshou, daily passenger flow has been increasing by almost 40 percent each day. Across the country over five million people are expected to ride trains every day until the first round of the travel rush cools down early next month.

Editor:Zhang Ning