Festival Special: Apps that help commuters avoid rush

Official rail ticket booking app

12306.cn

A file photo shows a screenshot of the webpage of 12306.cn, the official online train ticket booking platform, on Dec 28, 2013. According to Xinhua News Agency, online ticket sales have helped reduce crowds at ticket booths in Beijing. [Photo/IC]

Screenshots show the page of 12306.cn. High-speed rails from Beijing to Shanghai are displayed on the right. [Photo/iTunes]

In the past, ticket booths in large cities were overwhelmed during the Spring Festival period, with people having to waits for hours and even days in some cases to buy a ticket.

This year, the official rail website started selling tickets 60 days ahead of the festival, compared with 20 in previous years.

The move has been taken to help passengers plan early and avoid rush hour.

Online ticket sales have helped reduce crowds at ticket counters. On Feb 4, 2015, the first day of the holiday season travel rush, Beijing West Railway Station, the city's busiest, reported shorter lines.

According to Xinhua News Agency, China's rail system is expected to handle 300 million trips during the travel rush in 2015, up 10 percent year-on-year. It represents the highest growth of all forms of passenger transportation, according to figures from the National Development and Reform Commission.