A total of 2.17 billion passengers are expected to travel during the upcoming Spring Festival season, up nearly 5 percent from last year's holiday season.

During the Spring Festival rush, a large proportion of the Chinese population, including migrant workers, students and tourists, will travel across the country by train, road and air for family reunions or to go on holiday.

The Spring Festival, or Chinese lunar New Year, which this year falls on Feb. 18, is one of the most important occasions for Chinese families to be reunited.

The National Development and Reform Commission has said that a record 155 million passengers will travel by train, up 4.3 percent, during the 40-day travel peak which begins Feb. 3 and ends March 14.

Editor: Donald