According to Shanghai Railway Administration figures, a total of 679,000 passengers left Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and Anhui by train on February 6, setting a new record, and the number remained around 674,000 the next day.

The daily passenger rate at the Shanghai Railway Station, the largest in east China, reached 100,000 arrivals and departures during those two days.

The administration estimated this peak period would end around Tuesday and another would occur after February 15, China's lantern festival and also the end of the traditional Spring Festival period which began on Feb. 1 this year.

Most passengers are holidaymakers returning to work and rural workers who migrate to such large cities as Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou to look for jobs.

To handle the increasing number of passengers heading south, another temporary train from Shanghai to Guangzhou has been put into use.

(People's Daily February 12, 2003)