China to see surge in train trips as holiday draws to close

BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- China will see a surge in train trips on Thursday as an eight-day national holiday draws to a close, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

Passengers get off a train at Yantai Railway Station in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 8, 2020. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua)

Passengers catch a train at Changsha South Railway Station in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo)

On Thursday, 13 million train trips are expected, and 1,234 additional trains have been put into operation to handle the spike in trips involving tourism and family visits.

China's daily train trips had exceeded 10 million for eight consecutive days by Wednesday, the railway operator said.

China celebrates its National Day on Oct. 1, and the weeklong holiday this year has been extended to Oct. 8 as it overlapped with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional festival symbolizing family reunion that falls on Aug. 15 on the lunar calendar.

Passengers wait at Hangzhou East Railway Station in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 8, 2020. (Photo by Long Wei/Xinhua)

Passengers go through temperature checking while passing the entrance at Changsha South Railway Station in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo)

Passengers line up to have tickets checked at Changsha South Railway Station in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo)

Aerial photo taken on Oct. 8, 2020 shows passengers preparing to enter Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Photo by Zhao Jun/Xinhua)