Snow ruins Chinese travel plans

China’s peak travel season is well underway as millions travel across the country in order to be at home for the Lunar New Year and return to work afterwards. Forecasts of snow have made travel arrangements particularly difficult as the peak travel nears to an end.

Large regions in southern China are expecting moderate snow and rain this week. Guizhou, a province in the south west, has a forecast of sleet and snow. The area has already seen difficult winter weather conditions in recent weeks.

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) warned that icy weather would cause travel problems with so many people on the move.

On Monday this week, millions of people began their return trip from their family homes to their workplaces. The number of passengers on trains and buses increased dramatically. The majority of migrant workers will be leaving from central Wuhan, Nanchang and Chengdu cities.

According to the Minister of Railways, there are 264 extra trains standing by in order to help alleviate the pressure on the system caused by so much travel. In addition, 24-hour staff are working at the ticket booths.

On Sunday, there were 3.99 million passengers on the nation’s trains. The largest recorded number in one day occurred last year when five million passengers took to the rails, but the ministry is expecting more this year.