China's trains prepare for holiday travel peaks

The China Railway Corporation plans to add 418 temporary trains on Monday to prepare for the second rush of travelers as the week-long National Day holiday ends on Tuesday.

Railway travel peaks are expected both on Monday and Tuesday as people return to work after the holiday, the CRC said.

On Monday alone, the CRC expects 9.7 million railway passengers, 6.5 percent more than that on Sunday, which saw 9.1 million travelers.

The busiest rail lines were seen in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, which contributed to about 42 percent of total passenger flow on Sunday.

The CRC scheduled 5,199 routine trains and added 324 extra trains to handle the surge of passengers on Sunday.

During the holiday, many Chinese return home for family reunions or travel to tourist attractions. Railways are the primary means of long distance travel in China while roads and waterways are mainly used by short-distance travelers.

For the past five days, around 450 million Chinese hit the roads while 10.22 million passengers traveled by water, according to the Ministry of Transport.