Spring Festival Travel Season on Record Pace: 148 Million Tickets Already Sold

Steven Schwankert | Jan 14, 2014 1:30 pm | 3 comments | 1804 reads

The largest annual human migration is on track to be even larger this year as almost 150 million train tickets have been sold for the Spring Festival travel period, which officially begins later this week on January 17.

Ease of buying and speed of trains may increase train travel amongst commuters this season as travel times are cut; as well, while the annual burden of wading through notorious ticket lines (pictured above) has previously been a necessary evil, this year almost half of all tickets are expected to be purchased online. One report indicated that when tickets for the peak period went on sale last week, 31 trains to various destinations sold out in the first two seconds. That's even faster than Zeppelin at the Garden in 1975.

Five million tickets have been sold in one day so far, a 20 percent increase over the highest day on record.

None of this includes travel by air or travelers who will drive home for China's biggest holiday. No word yet on whether the government will waive highway tolls for passenger cars as they have during other vacation periods.

Photo: Telegraph.co.uk

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TX_Chick's picture TX_Chick Submitted by Guest on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 11:22

The website probably just makes it that much harder for poor migrant workers to get tickets home, as I would guess they don't have access to computers while they are working their long shifts.

Which may in turn increase the crime rate as they resort to stealing so they can afford to take the bus or even fly.

Guard your pockets, people! I've also heard that mums with children are also targeted more since they are distracted quite often.

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