A bullet train is seen at Beijing railway station May 7, 2007. The new CRH (China Railway High-speed) bullet train can run at 200km per hour. According to the Ministry of Railways, a record 5.16 million people travelled on trains on last Monday alone, and from April 28 to May 7, some 45 million people will take trains, up 8 percent year-on-year. (Xinhua Photo)

Bullet trains that can travel at up to  200 kilometers per hour provide a new and popular travel alternative during the May Day holiday.

Chinadaily.com.cn recently conducted a survey and found that about half of the respondents said they would like to try the trains during the week-long holiday.

More than 2,100 people responded to the website's question of "Will you try these bullet trains during the golden week in May?"

About 45 percent said "yes", 37 percent "no", and the rest had "no comment".

"I will try it," said a netizen named Dongting. "It is not as expensive as an air ticket, and cuts journey time."

However, Sissi felt ticket prices for the trains were a bit steep and that might could deter travelers.

"I shall try it one day, but not during the Golden Week. I always want to try something new, if I can afford it."

Meanwhile Nile advised people "not to spend money on transport that has experienced delays, making actual travel time longer".

Tickets for the trains, however, have been selling fast across the country.

"Can I please have a ticket for today or tomorrow to Shenyang?" asked a woman traveler at the Beijing Railway Station on Sunday.

"We only have tickets for May 8 or later," replied a ticket seller.

There are 256 bullet trains that traverse the country daily, including 26 that set off from Beijing, but there are almost no seats to be had.

"Tickets for bullet trains during the holidays were all sold out," Yu Xuejin, an official with Beijing Railway Station, was quoted by CCTV as saying.

Housewife Sun and her family were off to visit relatives in East China's Shandong Province during the holidays and said it was a good way to travel.

"It's wonderful, it cuts journey time, the trains are comfortable, and service excellent," she said.

Railway departments have been handling an average of 4.26 million passengers daily during the holiday period, exceeding that of the Spring Festival, according to an article on the Ministry of Railways website.

Editor: Yan