Extra trains for Spring Festival travel period
Source: Xinhua |
January 16, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA will add more train services and intensify its crackdown on ticket scalping during the upcoming 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, when hundreds of millions of people return to their hometowns around the country for family reunions, the vice minister of railways said yesterday.
Wang Zhiguo told a briefing the ministry will increase transport capacity to ensure people can return home during the travel rush.
The Spring Festival, which begins on February 3 this year, is the most important Chinese festival for family reunions. This year's holiday travel peak will be from January 19 to February 27.
Some 230 million train trips will be made during the period, up 12.5 percent from last year, according to estimates. Wang said the ministry will add police to crack down on ticket scalping. Trials of the real-name ticket selling system will be expanded to prevent scalping.
Railway police in Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong Province, have busted five gangs for producing and selling fake ID cards for train-ticket scalping in a recent crackdown. They arrested over 10 suspects and seized more than 11,000 fake ID cards.
To make ticket purchasing easier, Wuhan and Shenyang railway bureaus will set up telephone reservation services, Wang said.
Six railway bureaus had already opened telephone ticket reservation services.
He voiced concern that frigid weather may cause transportation problems during the period.
He said the ministry has drawn up emergency response plans in the event bad weather disrupts transportation.
Wang said railway authorities will ensure the transportation of goods - including coal, oil and grain - to meet demand during the holiday season.
The vice minister also said the solution to ticket shortages is building more railways. China has 91,000 kilometers of railways as of December.
Wang Zhiguo told a briefing the ministry will increase transport capacity to ensure people can return home during the travel rush.
The Spring Festival, which begins on February 3 this year, is the most important Chinese festival for family reunions. This year's holiday travel peak will be from January 19 to February 27.
Some 230 million train trips will be made during the period, up 12.5 percent from last year, according to estimates. Wang said the ministry will add police to crack down on ticket scalping. Trials of the real-name ticket selling system will be expanded to prevent scalping.
Railway police in Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong Province, have busted five gangs for producing and selling fake ID cards for train-ticket scalping in a recent crackdown. They arrested over 10 suspects and seized more than 11,000 fake ID cards.
To make ticket purchasing easier, Wuhan and Shenyang railway bureaus will set up telephone reservation services, Wang said.
Six railway bureaus had already opened telephone ticket reservation services.
He voiced concern that frigid weather may cause transportation problems during the period.
He said the ministry has drawn up emergency response plans in the event bad weather disrupts transportation.
Wang said railway authorities will ensure the transportation of goods - including coal, oil and grain - to meet demand during the holiday season.
The vice minister also said the solution to ticket shortages is building more railways. China has 91,000 kilometers of railways as of December.
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