Railway passenger volume in YRD region surges

According to the latest data from the China Railway Shanghai Bureau Group, the number of passengers traveling the railway lines in the Yangtze River Delta region from February 12 to 18 reached 13.704 million, a 4.7-percent increase compared with the same period in 2019.

Figures from the Hangzhou East Railway Station also confirmed the rise, showing that over 220,000 passengers departed from the station, surpassing the pre-pandemic daily passenger volume.

The railway passenger flow in the YRD region during the 2023 Spring Festival travel rush period (Jan 7 to Feb 15) grew to 90 percent of the pre-pandemic levels due to the optimization of epidemic control measures and the construction of new railway lines.

Even though the 2023 Spring Festival travel rush has ended, the number of passengers taking trains around the YRD region remains high. Several factors are believed to be behind this rise, including the beginning of the new semester of higher education institutions, workers returning to their companies, the construction of new railway lines and the revitalization of the economy.

On Feb 19 alone, the number of railway passengers in the YRD region was 2.21 million.

To ensure the safety of passengers, more railway staff was assigned to guide them at platforms, escalators and other crowded areas.