Beijing well prepared for Spring Festival travel rush

(CRI) The Spring Festival travel rush, also known as Chunyun, has begun. Today, railway stations across the country are expecting to serve 8.5 million passenger trips. Nearly three billion trips are expected during the whole "Chunyun" period this year, up 2.2 percent year on year As CRI's Huang Shan reports, Beijing Railway Bureau has introduced a series of convenience measures, aiming to ensure a safe and smooth trip for passengers. With the start of the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush - the world's largest human migration - China is expecting a record-high flow of passengers. According to the figures released by the Beijing Railw ay Bureau, the capital city is expected to handle 31.5 million passenger trips this year, a growth of 6 percent over last year's total. And on the peak day - January 25th - more than 600,000 trips are expected in the Chinese capital. Xie Jingyi, spokesman for Beijing Railway Station, says a surge in passengers will test China's railway capacity. "In terms of guaranteeing the transport capacity, this year Beijing Railway Station has added 36 pairs of passenger trains, including 30 pairs of long-distance trains. They are mainly in the Beijing-Harbin direction, as well as the ones heading for Guangzhou, Kowloon, Yuanping, and Baotou. And most of the medium- and short-distance trains are going to cities like Qinhuangdao, Zhangjiakou, and Tangshan. Now we're fully prepared for the booming passenger numbers. We'll tap into the potential in enhancing our transport capacity." Zhu Dianping, director of the Passenger Station Management Section with Bei jing Railway Bureau, says over 460 ticket dispensers have been moved from indoor halls to squares outside stations, in order to save passengers' time in picking up tickets. She says several other changes have been made as well, to improve the passenger experience. "Three railway stations in Beijing have opened their official accounts on WeChat. Passengers can follow them via the shake function or scanning the QR code. By logging into the accounts, passengers can purchase tickets, get travel advisories, check the trains' arrival time, and book catering services on the train. Those handicapped, aged or pregnant passengers can also reserve priority service through the account." Survey results have found that passengers during Spring Festival are mainly composed by students, migrant workers, and others who are heading back to their home towns. Huang Jingyin, an engineer who now lives in Beijing, has joined the migration. She took the train from Beijing station to Tangshan today. "There are more passengers than usual. The station opens up with more real-name verification windows, along with radio broadcasts to direct passengers to the less crowded windows. After the check of ID card and train ticket, passengers can get a notice paper, showing the corresponding waiting room, which is very convenient. There are also several special channels with staff being responsible for helping the elderly, and passengers with children, to get on the train in advance." The 40-day travel frenzy lasts from today to Feb. 21.. The hectic period surrounds the Chinese lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, which falls on Jan. 27 this year. Source: CRI from China Travel & Tourism News http://ift.tt/1iB6EFm