Aerial photo taken on Jan. 26, 2020 shows the Yellow Crane Pavilion and the Yangtze River Bridge during a lockdown to contain the epidemic in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Photo: Xinhua)

A tourist train carrying 950 passengers departed Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, on Saturday morning for a two-day recreational tour of the province's Xiangyang City.

It was the first tourist train that originated from Wuhan and launched by the China Railway's Wuhan bureau since the city was hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic.

The tourists will visit the ancient city wall, Xiangshui River, and other historical and cultural scenic spots in Xiangyang over the weekend, according to the bureau.

To ensure their comfort while observing regular epidemic prevention and control rules, the bureau has made arrangements for boarding and alighting times and opened dedicated entrance passages and a waiting area for the passengers.

Special staff members were assigned to provide the tourists with travel consultations, taking photos, and porter services.

More tourist train routes will be launched to boost tourism within Hubei and trans-provincial tourism, the bureau said.