Source: CCTV.com

01-10-2009 12:12

Government authorities are urging related departments to make complete preparations for the Spring Festival travel peak. Railway stations in many cities have taken measures to ensure smooth travel for passengers. Qi Tianxing has more.

China expects 2.3 billion journeys to be made during the 40-day travel  peak as people flock home for the annual Spring Festival holiday.

China expects 2.3 billion journeys to be made during the 40-day travel peak as people flock home for the annual Spring Festival holiday. That's a 3.5-percent rise from the same period of last year. A record 188 million train journeys are expected in this year's travel rush, up 8 percent from last year.

Railway authorities in cities including Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai have scheduled additional express trains for the holiday rush. In Xi'an, the capital of Shanxi Province, local railway stations have added an extra 38 trains daily.

Wang Gang, Deputy Station Master of Xi'an Railway Station, said, "Most of our passengers are heading for the cities of Xining and Urumqi, and for Sichuan Province. We expect that the first travel peak will fall between Saturday and Sunday."

Air travel is also busy. Since direct air links between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan opened in December, the number of passengers has increased continuously. Taiwan-based airlines are planning to add another eight flights per day during the Spring Festival.