Spring Festival tickets go on sale Thursday

China Railway Corporation, operator of China's rail network, announced that train tickets for the 40-day travel period during Chinese New Year will go on sale on Thursday. The hectic travel period surrounding Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, will begin on Jan 24 and last until March 3.

The Spring Festival is China's most important holiday for reunions, with hundreds of millions of people traveling to their hometowns and causing huge pressure on the transportation system. The upcoming Chinese New Year falls on Feb 8.

During Spring Festival in 2015, 2.81 billion trips were made on Chinese railways, roads, airlines and waterways, up 3.5 percent from the previous year. About 295 million trips were made by rail, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.

On Thursday, passengers can book tickets for departures on Jan 24 through the Internet, mobile app or by phone.

In 2016, the CRC plans to run 3,488 pairs of trains, an increase of 14.5 percent from 2015.