From peanuts to Starbucks, carts on trains move upmarket

"Beer, soft drinks, mineral water! Peanuts, melon seeds, bottled congee!" Millions of Chinese train passengers will hear the call of food vendors pushing trolleys up the aisles during the Spring Festival travel rush.

China expects 413 million train trips to be made during this year's 40-day travel season, as people head home for the most important family reunion of the year, and catering to them during journeys that can last for days is no small business.

Li Hongyang, an attendant on a train running from Fuzhou, Fujian province, to Guang'an, Sichuan province, pushed a cart through 12 crowded carriages for more than three hours, selling more than 30 crates of mineral water and a lot of snacks.