China has pressed more trains into service to meet the challenge of passenger rush ahead of the country's second biggest holiday starting from tomorrow.
A second round of extra trains has been ordered into operation as travel numbers reach unexpected heights during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the China Railway Corporation (CRC) said today.
According to CRC data, nearly 9.2 million passengers travelled by rail yesterday, up 23.2 per cent from the same period last year.
The railway authorities had expected a passenger increase of 12.4 per cent based on data from last year during the four-day rush beginning Friday. But on yesterday alone passenger numbers went about 8 per cent higher than what was predicted.
The busiest rail lines were operated by railway bureaus in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, which contributed to more than 43 per cent of total passenger flow yesterday.
The CRC scheduled 5,175 routine trains and added 323 extra trains to handle the surge of passenger flow.
To prepare for continued travel peaks, the Railway Corporation planned 264 temporary trains today to carry them swiftly to their destinations.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, which will fall on Monday this year under China's lunar calendar, is the second most important holiday for families after the Spring Festival.
