Guangzhou Railway expects 5% increase in summer travel

Railway passenger flows in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, are expected to increase significantly during the upcoming summer travel rush, according to the local railway authorities.

The China Railway (Guangzhou) Group is expected to transport 127 million passengers during the summer travel season, which runs from July 1 to Aug 31, representing a year-on-year growth of 5 percent, with an average daily transportation of 2.048 million passengers.

The increase will be mainly driven by students, tourists and family visits, with business flows playing a significant role, the railway company said.

Student and tourist flows are primarily concentrated between scenic areas and major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. Students and elementary school students from smaller cities will relocate to major cities before returning to their hometowns at the end of the season.

The overall passenger travel during the summer season is relatively balanced, with passenger flow peaks occurring in early to mid-July and mid to late August, influenced by student flows, according to the railway company.

To cope with the increased passenger flows, Guangzhou Railway Station, one of the major railway transportation centers in Guangzhou, has expanded its transportation capacity by adding more high-speed trains to operations.

Starting from June 15, when the national railway implements the adjusted train timetable, the station will operate 76 pairs of trains, including 39 pairs of ordinary-speed trains and 37 pairs of high-speed and intercity trains.

"Nearly half of the total number of trains operated in the station are high-speed and intercity trains, further enhancing the passenger transportation capacity of the century-old station," said Tu Yangwen, Party chief of the Guangzhou Railway Station's passenger workshop.

Located in the downtown area with convenient transportation, the station is directly accessible via metro lines, according to Tu.

"The century-old station is no longer only able to operate ordinary-speed trains - passengers can take high-speed trains here, especially towards Hunan and Beijing," said Tu.