Another travel season is getting underway across China.
Over the Labor Day holiday, which is observed from May 1 to 5 this year, China is expected to see 250 million passenger trips. Rail traffic is already seeing passenger flows return to pre-COVID-19 levels. From April 29 to May 6, an estimated 106 million trips are expected by train, an increase of 0.8 percent compared with 2019.
At Beijing South Railway Station, official data shows that May 1 is the peak day for travel at this station, with over 210,000 people expected to take trips. That surpasses the peak day in 2019.
From April 29 to May 6 , an estimated 106 million trips are expected by train, an increase of 0.8 percent compared with 2019. /CGTN
"People mainly travel to their hometowns or sight-seeing spots," said Zheng Siyao, publicity staff at Beijing South Railway Station. "Passengers mainly gravitate toward Tianjin, Jinan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hefei, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Dalian.”
"I am so excited to travel to Shanghai with my family this time. We used to drive out of town and haven't taken public transportation for about two years,"said a middle-aged man who told the reporter that he's taken the COVID-19 vaccine.
"My hometown is in Yantai (Shandong Province in east China,) I haven't been back for one and a half years. Now that the epidemic is under control in China, I feel relieved," a passenger said.
While the epidemic is under control in China, measures have not been relaxed. To ensure the health and safety of such a large number of passengers, railway authorities have continued to take strict epidemic prevention and control measures, including temperature monitoring, disinfection in public areas and self-service masks on demand.
On the platform, it's easy to feel the excitement, as people walk briskly with their luggage. Officials remind passengers to take good care of personal hygiene, to ensure everyone has a safe journey and a happy holiday.