Guangzhou railway station kicked off the annual "Spring Festival transport season" at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, 40 hours ahead of schedule.
At press time, the station has already handled over 70,000 passengers, a slight increase over the same period last year.
Ren Hong, vice stationmaster of Guangzhou Railway told Xinhua that, since Jan. 2, the average daily volume of Guangzhou station passengers has been above 60,000.
Large numbers of migrant laborers and college students return home for the Spring Festival and then back to work or school each year. This creates a sharp increase in passenger traffic during the period, which is known as the "Spring Festival transport season" in China.
Ren said that, beginning Jan.15, the railway station will receive more students and migrant workers. The station has made the necessary preparations for the upcoming peak travel season. (Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2003)