China's transportation network has handled over 400 million passenger trips as of January 17, a 47.2-percent spike over the same period last year, as the throngs hurry home for eagerly-anticipated Spring Festival family reunions.

On January 18 alone, Chinese railways were expected to log nine million passenger trips on the 10,260 trains assigned to meet the surging demand.

During the 40-day period, hundreds of millions of people will swarm train stations, airports and coach terminals across the country for family reunions on the Lunar New Year's eve, which falls on January 21 this year.