Spring Festival exodus on the way

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A migrant worker and his child go boarding the train home  at Yantai Railway Station in Yantai, a coastal city in east  China's Shandong Province, Jan. 23, 2008. The 40-day Spring  Festival travel peak across the country started on Jan. 23.  Passengers in Yantai went on journey home for the Spring  Festival celebration in heavy snow. (Xinhua Photo)

Wang Yongping, spokesman of Ministry of Railways, said, "Ticket prices will not rise. The Ministry of Railways has arranged for additional passenger trains, including high-speed bullet trains. It has also drawn up contingency plans to guarantee passenger safety."

China will adopt a new schedule this year and the May Day holiday has been shortened. That's led to an increasing number of people taking trips home during the Spring Festival.

It's a great relief for these passengers just to have got on board a train. And it's only the start of their long journey. They'll have to jostle for space, put up with the crowds and watch out for pick-pockets. But despite all that, it's all worth it to have a family reunion on the eve of the Spring Festival.

Editor:Zhang Ning