Chinese railways still busy as travel boom continues
Travelers take trains at Xiamen Railway Station in Xiamen, Fujian Province, on October 6.
Despite a retreat in daily passenger traffic from Sunday's peak, Chinese railways were still busy carrying passengers back to work and college as the week-long holiday nears its end.
More than 12 million trips were made Thursday, up 12.3 percent year on year, China Railway Corporation (CRC) said. Major city clusters surrounding metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai and Guangdong Province contributed more than 40 percent of the total.
CRC expects more to come on Friday and said it has arranged 539 more trains to ensure smooth travel, as well as free shuttle buses and more ticket vending machines.
Railways nationwide will receive around 130 million passengers in the 11 days following Sept. 28, according to an early forecast.
The National Day holiday has been extended to eight days this year to celebrate Mid-Autumn, or Moon Cake Festival, that falls on Oct. 4.
