On February 8, CR carried 127 million passengers, representing a fall of 85.4% and CR was expecting to carry 200 million passengers on February 9, a year-on-year drop of 82.2%.
However, there is a sharp imbalance between the number of passengers arriving in the major cities as they return from the national holiday and those departing.
In Beijing, West station recorded a 92.1% reduction in departing passengers compared with a 74.9% drop in arrivals, while for South station the reductions were 93.1% and 81.5% respectively. Beijing station reported 80.7% and 43.7% respective year-on-year falls. Shanghai’s two main stations had a similar pattern of reductions in traffic.
CR has introduced more measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The railway is staggering the return of passengers following the holiday, distributing passengers throughout trains more evenly to avoid people sitting too close to one another, and maximising the load factor of trains at around 50%.
CR is stepping up the measurement of passengers’ temperature entering and leaving stations and the random measurement of passengers’ temperature onboard trains.
CR has increased the supply of fresh air on all air-conditioned EMUs by 17 to 33% with trains replenishing the fresh air ventilation every 5 to 10 minutes. The cleaning and disinfection of air-conditioning filters has also been increased. In addition, CR has increased the preventive and emergency disinfection and full sanitation of passenger trains.
Services between China and Vietnam have been suspended, including the Nanning - Hanoi and Beijing West - Hanoi international passenger trains. This follows the suspension of international passenger services to Mongolia.
Meanwhile, in January, CR transported 360 million tonnes of goods needed for the prevention and control of the coronavirus epidemic.
