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A record 23.8 million passengers have traveled by trains in east China in the last 40 days, a period covering the traditional Spring Festival or Chinese Lunar New Year, which fell on February 1.
The Shanghai Railway Bureau in east China region had received record number of passenger departures and arrivals across the country, a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent.
As of Tuesday, the bureau had handled a daily average of 595,000 passengers, with the daily figure of 682,000 on the peak day.
A total of 6,503 temporary trains were added to handle the huge volume, 1,162 more than last year.
Shanghai railway bureau officials noted that the railways in the section under their administration were under enormous pressure this year, as crowding in trains was not allowed in the busy holiday season and the east China region had more train passengers than elsewhere in the country.
During the Spring Festival Holiday, China's peak travel season, migrant workers and students return to their hometowns for family reunions. However, a growing number of Chinese residents are traveling around China during the holiday season, exacerbating the problem of overcrowding.
No accidents were reported on the eastern rail routes during the 40-day peak season, and fewer complaints were received due to the bureau's precautions and improved services.
Although the 40-day season has come to a close, the current high passenger volume is expected to be maintained for a period of time. Some of the additional trains will go on running.
(People's Daily February 26, 2003)
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