BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- It is estimated that the Beijing Railway Bureau will see 34.7 million passengers, a year-on-year increase of 6.8 percent, during the country's Spring Festival travel rush from Monday to March 1 this year.

Passengers wait at a railway station at Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, January 21, 2019. (Photo: VCG)

The Beijing Railway Station is expected to transport 4.14 million passengers, up one percent from the previous year, whereas, the Beijing West Railway Station and Beijing South Railway Station are estimated to handle 6.56 million passengers and 4.82 million passengers, respectively, during the travel rush, according to sources with the Beijing Railway Bureau.

To handle the rising number of passengers, Beijing Railway Bureau has increased the number of trains heading for popular destinations, including cities of Jinan, Changchun, Harbin, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Chongqing and Chengdu.

Meanwhile, to improve the efficiency of the railway stations and provide convenience to passengers, the bureau also newly added 167 self-service ticket checking machines and opened 307 self-service ID checking entrances.

China's Spring Festival travel rush started Monday, unleashing the country's largest seasonal migration of people as families reunite for China's most important traditional holiday.

The travel rush began 15 days ahead of the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 5 this year.