Railway stations across China brace millions of passengers

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Railway stations across China have braced themselves for an influx of millions of passengers, who want to make the long and often tough journey back to their hometowns ahead of the Chinese New Year.

Passengers wait in lines to buy tickets in Changsha Railway  Station, in China's central Hunan Province, Jan. 11, 2009.  The 40-day travel peak before, during and after the Spring  Festival holiday began on Sunday, with the estimation of 2.32  billion people to travel over the Chinese Lunar New Year  holiday.(Xinhua/Long Hongtao)

Ticket booths at the Beijing West Railway Station are running around the clock to cope with passenger demand.

Still, passengers say getting a ticket home is not easy.

A student said, "My hometown is really far away and there are not enough direct trains. There are no tickets left for any train in the coming week. I'm going to Datong to transfer."