A total of 1,260 migrant workers who’ve been hard at work on major construction sites in Beijing boarded a special train Monday that’ll take them to their homes in central China in time for the traditional Spring Festival.

 

 

They’re the only passengers on the 18-carriage train and are due to arrive in their hometown of Shiyan, Hubei Province, at 11:56 AM Tuesday.

 

"It’s a heartwarming move by the Beijing government," said Fu Yanzhi, who has worked in Beijing for the past seven years. "It was so difficult to get a homebound ticket before the Spring Festival."

 

According to officials with the Beijing federation of trade unions all the workers are employed on key projects including Olympic facilities, a new airport and the city’s South Railway Station.

 

The initiative will ensure migrant workers get home safely and on time, according to officials.

 

Fu and his fellow workers are fortunate to have transport organized for them. China's Spring Festival travel period started on Saturday with the world's largest annual mass migration of people.

 

Buying train tickets is a daunting task for those working in big cities and eager to reunite with their families over the Spring Festival.

 

The Ministry of Railways estimates they’ll transport 156 million passengers--up 4.3 percent on last year--during the 40-day Spring Festival period. 

 

 

 

 

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2007)