The number of railway passengers during this year's Spring Festival travel peak is expected to reach 144 million, a 3.1 percent increase from last year, Hu Yadong, vice minister of railways, said yesterday.

The Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, falls on January 29 this year, 11 days ahead of last year's holiday, so college students, migrant workers and other travelers will use the railways at almost the same time, adding pressure to the system.

The travel peak season runs from today to February 22.

The Spring Festival is a special occasion for family reunions. For years, the nation's transportation system has been strained during the season, as millions of Chinese flock back home and then return to work around the same time.

In the past 10 days, 30.35 million people took trains, up 5.2 percent from last year. In the next 7 days, the student wave will come, and from Sunday most migrant workers will begin to go home.

Hu said next Friday is expected to be the first peak day of the season, when the railways will carry 3.43 million passengers, up 4.6 percent.

Express trains will make 301 return trips, 59 more than during the last Spring Festival.  

(Shanghai Daily January 14, 2006)