Passengers buy Huangyan tangerines at Taizhouxi Railway Station. [Photo/Tide News]

Taizhouxi Railway Station in Taizhou, Zhejiang province was full of passengers going home on the morning of Jan 14, the first day of the 2025 Spring Festival travel rush lasting until Feb 22.

A special section for Huangyan tangerines attracted many passengers to buy as a gift for families, adding a festive touch to the station.

Xianju Railway Station, part of the Hangzhou-Wenzhou High-speed Railway, also saw a busy start to the Spring Festival travel rush. Station Master Yu Renlong reported that the station operated 11.5 round trips, serving 3,127 passengers on Jan 14.

"We invited calligraphers to write couplets and the character fu (meaning fortune) for passengers," said Yu.

Taizhouxi Railway Station launched 52 round trips on the first day, accommodating 18,000 passengers, which is similar to last year. Meanwhile, Taizhou Railway Station operated 29.5 round trips, carrying around 17,000 passengers, a 15 percent increase year-on-year.

Ticket sales for the Spring Festival travel period have hit 70,000, with high demand for routes to nearby cities like Hangzhou and Shanghai and to distant destinations like Beijing and Nanjing, according to an employee at Taizhouxi Station.

To accommodate the surge in passengers, Taizhouxi Station adjusted train schedules and added extra services, while Taizhou Station ramped up passenger flow management to ensure a smooth travel experience.

The Taizhou Transportation Bureau expects a 4.46 percent increase in railway passengers, reaching 3.4 million during the Spring Festival travel rush.