Beijing’s railway transport system is expected to serve over 6.35 million people during the 40-day Spring Festival travel season starting on Jan. 24. Compared with the same period last year, this year’s number is up 286,000, Beijing News reported on Wednesday.

An authority working at Beijing West Railway Station said that the 40-day travel rush will go until March 3.

According to the source, the busiest period will be from Jan. 30 to Feb. 7, with a daily carriage of 215,000 passengers. During that period, the peak days are likely to be Feb. 5 and Feb. 6, several days ahead of the Chinese lunar New Year’s Day, which falls on Feb. 8.

On each of those two days, about 240,000 people are expected to travel by railway—a 5,000-passenger rise compared to the same period last year, the source disclosed.

The authority also explained that migrant workers, students and holiday travelers all contribute to the rise of passengers.

"Most students' vacations start from the middle of January, which is also the rush time for migrant workers coming back home," he added.

In addition, thanks to an earlier Spring Festival in 2016, some tourists will leave northern China for the warmer South, adding transport pressure for routes to Kunming, Guilin, Guangzhou, Xiamen and other southern areas.

To cope with the pressure, Beijing West Railway Station will set up a temporary waiting room as usual, but the waiting room this year will be relocated to a larger basement space with two entrances.