Night high-speed trains start running from the Guangzhou South Railway Station to meet the travel needs of passengers during the Spring Festival travel rush. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
High-speed train G4736, carrying over 500 homebound passengers, departed at 10:12 pm on Sunday from Guangzhou South Station in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, and arrived at Wuhan Station in Hubei province at 2:07 am on Monday.
It was the first night high-speed train service operated by the China Railway Guangzhou Group during this year's Spring Festival travel rush, adding an efficient and convenient travel option for travelers during the 40-day annual travel season.
Night high-speed trains start running from the Guangzhou South Railway Station to meet the travel needs of passengers during the Spring Festival travel rush. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
In preparation for the peak in passenger flow and ensuring the needs of travelers for nighttime travel, the Guangzhou station will keep all service areas open overnight and maintain adequate supplies of hot water and food.
The total volume of passengers is large, and peaks are concentrated during this year's Spring Festival travel rush, especially for routes from Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Guangdong, to Central and East China, according to Huang Yuchu, head of the passenger transport department at China Railway Guangzhou Group.
Night high-speed trains start running from the Guangzhou South Railway Station to meet the travel needs of passengers during the Spring Festival travel rush. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
"The addition of night high-speed trains is a key measure to handle the massive passenger flow and enhance overall capacity, aiming to ensure more travelers can return home safely and on time to reunite with their families," Huang said.
Since the start of the Spring Festival travel rush, passenger traffic in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has been steadily increasing, Huang said.
Night high-speed trains start running from the Guangzhou South Railway Station to meet the travel needs of passengers during the Spring Festival travel rush. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Since Sunday, the Guangzhou railway group transported over 2 million passengers daily, and high passenger volumes are expected to continue until Feb 15, a day before Chinese New Year's Eve.
To handle the pre-holiday peak, the Guangzhou railway group plans to operate 2,472 night high-speed trains during the travel rush period, with more than 400 trains running on peak days.
Night high-speed trains start running from the Guangzhou South Railway Station to meet the travel needs of passengers during the Spring Festival travel rush. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The trains will cover popular return routes from Guangzhou and Shenzhen to Wuhan in Hubei, Chongqing, Nanchang in Jiangxi province, and other destinations.
