BEIJING: With cross-regional trips expected to hit 9.5 billion, China is preparing for what could be the largest Spring Festival travel rush in history — a massive migration that not only reunites families but also puts the country’s transportation system to the test.
According to Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, this year’s 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun, will start on Monday and end on March 13. Self-driving trips are expected to remain dominant, accounting for roughly 80 percent of journeys, while railway and civil aviation passenger volumes are forecast to reach 540 million and 95 million, respectively, and overall travel as well as single-day peaks are likely to surpass previous records. “The Spring Festival travel coordination is a massive operation involving more than 20 government departments,” Li said. “Our goal is to make sure people can get home for the holiday and return to work afterward as smoothly as possible. We are working with relevant departments to manage the travel rush safely and efficiently for millions of travelers.”
Coordinating millions of travelers across railways, highways, airports and ferries requires a highly complex, multiagency operation, and authorities are working to ensure that this massive movement runs smoothly, safely and efficiently. It is estimated that on peak travel days, more than 14,000 passenger trains can be operated, with seating capacity increasing by 5.3 percent year-on-year. Both high-speed and regular trains will operate to ensure that even people in rural communities can reach their destinations. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
