Beijing's railway transport ready for Spring Festival rush

Public transit across China is bracing for the annual Spring Festival travel rush, or "Chunyun."

As the country's railway and road systems will be severely tested, authorities in Beijing are taking steps to make travel easier and safer for millions of people going home.

Wang Yan, spokesperson of the Beijing Railway Station, one of the transport nerve centers in the Chinese capital, says the station is gearing up for the upcoming 40-day travel rush.

"The Beijing Railway Station is expected to handle 4.2 million trips during the holiday season, an increase of nearly ten percent. The station will operate 44 pairs of temporary trains, mainly to China's northeast region."

Emergency passages have been established at the station so people can be cleared-out safely in the event of massive delays. Underground parking lots and a nearby school will be used as waiting areas, to relieve the pressure inside the station during peak travel days.

Wang Yan adds the station has also rolled out measures to help people who buy tickets online or via phone, the most popular booking methods among travelers.

"Travelers who bought train tickets online will get their tickets at the station. Many people will endorse or refund their tickets here as well. 29 new automatic ticket vending machines will be put in use in addition to the current 61. For the first time ever, there will be more ticket machines than booths this year."

People booking trips on those ticket machines are describing a user-friendly experience.

"I followed the instructions and clicked twice on the screen, then the machine spilled out my ticket. It is very easy and convenient."

Meanwhile, staffers at the Beijing Railway Station say they are ready to serve. Yang Aijin has been working at the Beijing Railway station for more than 10 years, and says she will provide the best service she can during the holiday season.

"There aren't as many travelers as before buying tickets at the station, but I will not compromise my service standard. We have passengers from across China, and the Beijing Railway Station can sort-of represents Beijing, so if they say the service at the station is good, I will feel proud."

The Spring Festival travel rush will officially begin on January 16th, when the largest annual migration on Earth begins. The number of people entering and exiting Beijing is expected to peak at around 10.4 million on January 27th and 28th.

Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, will fall at the end of this month. It is the most important Chinese holiday for family reunions, making it a hectic time for the country's public transportation system.