The first Spring Festival transportation after "Class B and B": The waiting room is crowded, and the station announcement prompts have changed

Jimu News reporter Yao_Cao Xuejiao Liu_Rui Zhao Delong Shulonghuan

January 21, New Year’s Eve, the 15th day of the national Spring Festival travel rush.

As the first Spring Festival after the “Category B and B” COVID-19 epidemic, many citizens are on their way back home.

How is this year’s Spring Festival travel different from previous years? Jimu News reporters visited many high-speed rail stations across the country.

“Everyone is the first person responsible for their own health”

Reporter: Yao_ Location: Beijing West Railway Station

For me, Beijing West Railway Station Very familiar. Whether you're on a business trip or home, you need to start here.

I still remember that when I returned home before the Spring Festival last year, I needed to double-check whether my nucleic acid certificate had expired and whether the status of the Beijing Health Treasure was normal. This year, with the adjustment of epidemic prevention and control policies, I can easily go home to celebrate the New Year.

There are especially many people at Beijing West Railway Station this year. Looking from the security checkpoint on the first floor to the waiting hall on the second floor, the escalators are full of people.

After entering the waiting hall, I realized that the crowd I just saw was just a drop in the ocean. There were people carrying large and small bags, some with their parents, and some with babies in their arms, pushing strollers, and carrying heavy luggage on their backs.

While waiting for the bus, you can often hear announcements reminding passengers to wear masks. However, the relevant copy has also been changed to: Wear masks scientifically, everyone is the first person responsible for health.

Everyone will also tighten their masks when hearing the broadcast. Because everyone hopes to go home healthy and spend a New Year.

The crowd entering the Beijing West Railway Station

Almost every guardrail is leaning on a row of passengers

Reporter: Cao Xuejiao Location: Guangzhou South Railway Station

On the afternoon of January 13, my companion and I took a bus from Guangzhou South Railway Station back to Wuhan.

Although, where I live is only half an hour’s drive from Guangzhou South Railway Station. However, I am worried that during the Spring Festival travel rush, there will be too many passengers at the South Station, which will cause delays in queuing for security check. In the end, my companion and I left the house two hours early.

There are not many passengers entering the station for security check, and it only takes a few minutes to wait. But as soon as I entered the waiting room, I found that it was packed with people.

In the waiting room, the seats were almost occupied by passengers. There were also many passengers carrying large and small bags and dragging suitcases, moving around in the waiting room, trying to find a seat where they could take a short rest.

But most passengers find it difficult to do so. As a result, some of them sat directly on the floor leaning against the pillars, while some passengers dragged their boxes and rested against the dividing guardrail.

Almost every guardrail has a row of passengers leaning against it. Most of them were staring closely at the big screen at the station, looking forward to the next ticket check being their own car back home.

Crowds waiting at Guangzhou South Railway Station

People waiting for taxis formed a long queue at the high-speed rail station

Reporter: Liu_Rui Location: Wuhan Station

On January 13, many friends will return to Wuhan. Because I had promised before that I would go to Wuhan Station to greet them after they returned to Han. That night, I also ate early and prepared to leave half an hour early.

My friends arrived at the station at 9:30 pm. We thought we would have enough time, but the weather was not kind and it started to rain heavily. Afraid of traffic jam, I went out early.

It started smoothly and the journey was smooth. But when I arrived at the P1 parking lot, I began to realize that something was wrong.

On the map, the last 200 meters before turning right into the P1 parking lot have become blood red. The three lanes are already blocked due to traffic jams, and only the leftmost lane is still passable. "It's over." I looked at the clock that had jumped to 21:10, thinking that my friends might have to wait for me in the wind for a while.

On my left, an elder brother was anxiously talking on the phone. Maybe he, like me, was afraid of missing time.

Fortunately, this road is not blocked. At 21:27, I finally moved into the parking lot. Find a parking space skillfully, and then use every opportunity to back into the parking space in the traffic. Then I ran towards the North Second Exit, but fortunately my friend hadn’t exited the station yet.

After receiving my friend, I turned around and saw that when I came in, the queue at the taxi pick-up point, which was not long, had already stretched three corners, and the queue was nearly 200 meters long.

"Fortunately you picked us up." My friend was also very emotional. Another friend also said that the last time he saw such a long queue waiting for taxis at Wuhan Station was in 2018. After so many years, I finally felt the spirit of Spring Festival travel again at Wuhan Station.

There is a long queue of people waiting for taxis at Wuhan Station

It only takes 3 minutes from entering the station to waiting for the taxi

Reporter: Shu Longhuan Location: Xi'an North Railway Station

January 15th is the ninth day of the Spring Festival Transport in 2023. That day, I was going to take a bus from Xi'an North Railway Station.

In the past three years, I have taken the bus from here many times. In the past, to queue up at the station, you needed to check your health code and nucleic acid certificate. Coupled with the security check, entering a station is very time-consuming. Every time I travel, I have to leave early from home and go to the station.

The most intuitive feeling when taking the bus this time is that the efficiency of pit stops has been significantly improved.

I calculated that after taking the bus from the city to the station, it only took 3 minutes from entering the station to waiting for the bus. All this is due to the adjustment and optimization of epidemic prevention policies.

Although the prevention and control policies have been adjusted, everyone in the waiting hall can consciously wear masks and protect their own health. Many travelers also told me that they felt that the trip home during the Spring Festival this year was easy and smooth, and more importantly, they did not have the psychological burden during the epidemic.

People waiting for the train at Xi'an North Station

Taking the high-speed rail home makes me feel like working at home

Reporter: Zhao Delong Location: Hubei Xingshan Station

In previous years, when I returned to my hometown in Xingshan from Wuhan, I took the high-speed train from Hankou Station to Yichang, and then transferred to a bus for more than an hour to Xingshan. I had to calculate half a day's drive in advance. Although I feel ready to return home at the end of the year, I feel less rushed and more calm than in previous years.

On January 20, after the work holiday, I embarked on the journey back home with excitement. Although Hankou Railway Station is still overcrowded, this time I am no longer in the rush of previous years, because after the completion of the Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-speed Railway, it will only take two and a half hours from Wuhan to Xingshan.

Following the flow of people, I feel the joy of returning home floating in the air. The moment I step on the train, I imagine that the picture of my hometown will appear in front of me in two hours, and the joy in my heart is beyond words.

On June 20 last year, the Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-speed Railway was fully operational. My hometown, Xingshan, ended its history of not having access to high-speed rail and officially entered the "high-speed rail era." The wishes of generations of my hometown have finally come true.

In addition to facilitating travel, the Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-speed Railway has also further improved the rapid railway network in central and southwest my country, which is of great significance for promoting tourism development in my hometown, the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, and boosting regional economic growth.

Moreover, this is the first time to welcome the Spring Festival since the opening of the Zhengzhou-Chongqing High-speed Railway. It is also the first time that I have taken the high-speed rail directly to my hometown. It is of great significance to me.

I still remember that the Spring Festival of 2022 is approaching, and the weather forecast says it may snow in Xingshan. My friend and I were afraid that the wind and snow would block our way home, so we rented a car in advance. Unexpectedly, God was not kind and it snowed heavily on the road. It's cold and the roads are slippery, and while driving, I have to deal with phone calls from my family to greet me every now and then. After a frightening journey, I finally returned home smoothly in the evening.

Looking back, the train was already traveling at high speed, and the green mountains and green waters outside the window were quickly retreating. At around 1:00 noon, the train arrived at Xingshan Station safely. My cousin was already waiting at the exit. When he saw me for the first time, he said: It’s so fast. It feels like you are working right in front of your home.

The newly opened Xingshan Station

Coordinator: Jimu News reporter Liu Rui