BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China has adjusted and optimized its railway operating plan with the Spring Festival travel rush around the corner, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway).

Passengers prepare to board the train K4051 to Nantong City in East China's Jiangsu Province, at the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 21, 2019, the first day of the 2019 Spring Festival travel rush. (File Photo: Xinhua)

Starting Wednesday, a total of 325 passenger trains and 114 freight trains have been newly added across the country to increase the railway passenger and freight capacity during the travel rush.

The adjustment has fully taken into consideration newly laid tracks between late 2020 and early 2021, the expansion of transport capacity and epidemic control and prevention requirements, the corporation noted.
China's Spring Festival travel rush will span from Jan. 28 to March 8 this year.
Given a nearly 60-percent drop year on year in train ticket bookings, China Railway last week lowered its railway trip forecast to 296 million for the travel rush.
The operator previously predicted that China would see 407 million railway passenger trips during the travel rush.