KUALA LUMPUR – As the Year of the Snake is set to begin on Wednesday, railway stations and airports across China have seen the biggest peak in traveller traffic.
Millions of people are returning home to spend the Lunar New Year with their loved ones, as this year’s annual migration is expected to be a record.
According to Xinhua, during the traditional 40-day period which runs before, during, and after the holidays, about 9 billion interprovincial passenger trips – on all forms of transportation combined – are expected to be made.
The news agency also reported that train and air travel are expected to hit a record high during this year’s migration.
China’s Transport Ministry expects 510 million train trips and 90 million air trips during this period, while China Railways has added thousands of trains to meet demand, as last Saturday was the “main peak” at the stations before the holidays.
It is understood that it used data from ticket sales and waiting lists to predict and regulate supply.
Many factories have already been closed for the holidays, and with many people working or studying in provinces other than their own because of better opportunities, there is a large population migration around the Lunar New Year. – January 27, 2025