Now that train ticket prices won't increase this year as they usually do during the Spring Festival, many people have delayed their travel plans, the Ministry of Railways said Friday.

Although China's transport authorities laid on 258 extra trains on Thursday, fewer passengers took trains than the same day last year.

About 3.048 million passengers traveled by train on Thursday, down 2.3 percent year on year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Railways.

The stable train fares mean many people won't depart until the last few days before the Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year which falls on Feb. 18 this year, sources with the ministry said.

For years China adopted the policy of raising ticket prices during the Spring Festival travel season to help ease travel peaks.

During the past Spring Festival travel season, fares for ordinary hard seats increased 15 percent while those for other seats went up 20 percent. Many passengers had to leave before the start of the travel season to avoid price hikes.

The travel season this year falls between Feb. 3 and March 14, according to the ministry.

The Ministry of Railway has predicted that the number of rail passengers during the travel season will reach 155 million.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2007)