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| Car owner Ran Hong (second from left), his girlfriend (left), Liu Chengguo (right) and his wife Tian Xingju pose for a photo before they leave Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, for Chongqing on Feb 3. Liu and Tian have worked in Hangzhou for four years, and they shared Ran's car on the journey home after they were unable to get train tickets. Ran let them ride along for free. (Xinhua/Han Chuanhao) |
The Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed rail line, the world's longest high-speed rail link, which became fully operational on Dec 26, has become a hot choice for many traveling home, helping relieve the huge burdens on old lines.
Before the travel peak began, tickets for the new line were easier to get than other lines, because of their high prices — a first-class seat costs 1,383 yuan ($221), which is more expensive than an economy-class air ticket, and a second-class cabin seat costs 865 yuan.
Still, almost every ticket for the line's the railway operated before Spring Festival were booked by the end of January, according to 12306.cn.
Return tickets to Beijing and other big cities along the Beijing-Guangzhou line for Feb 16 and 17, when the Spring Festival holiday ends, were sold out on the website because most employers reopen on these days.
Railway authorities have also taken into consideration the needs of passengers with special conditions.
The Zhengzhou Railway Bureau in Henan province has made a series of favorable measures for people with disabilities, including reserving a certain number of seats and sleepers in each car.
The bureau dispatches ticket-selling vehicles to areas with large concentrations of migrant workers and remote, rural areas to help people there buy tickets.
Flying home
Airports in China will also see their busiest-ever traffic during this year's travel peak.
Nearly 8.8 million trips will be made through the Beijing Capital International Airport, averaging 220,000 each day, a 4.86 percent year-on-year increase, according to airport authority.
Airport workers with tablet computers and printers have been sent to help passengers check in. The practice is proving successful in saving travelers' time and reducing pressure on counters, the airport said.
Travelers to regions that produce many migrant workers and tourist hot spots have more options during the 40-day peak period.
Air China has pledged to add 2,578 flights to major Chinese destinations during the travel peak, and China Southern Airline plans to add more than 5,400 flights.
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