A program to ensure public health and prevent disease spreading was launched at the city's railway station earlier this week as the country's Spring Festival peak travel season is underway.

The program named Health Chunyun was held by Chinese Preventive Medicine Association's Sterilization Branch, Shanghai Preventive Medical Association and Shanghai Railway Bureau's disease control and prevention center, and was sponsored by Reckitt Benckiser China.

"During the Spring Festival peak travel season, the railway department's work is not only to ensure passengers' arriving on time but also to arrive healthily. The work of ensuring public health has long been an important part of the work at the railway station, especially during the transportation peak season," official from the city's railway bureau said.

Since a large number of people gather at railway stations during this time period, it would increase the risk of spreading disease. Thus, it's very important and necessary to enhance the disinfection work at the railway station, the official said.

Under the program, special working teams will be dispatched to give disinfectants to passengers at the city's railway station.

Meanwhile, pamphlets printed with information of keeping public health and avoiding contamination with bacteria will be sent to passengers. Warning posters will be also put up on the wall of the railway station's waiting hall.

Washing hands is one of the most important methods to effectively prevent illness spreading. In this program, about 3,000 bottles of Dettol hand sanitizer will be distributed to the washrooms in the railway station for passengers.

As the most important traditional Chinese holiday, Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year is drawing near, tens of millions of passengers, mainly migrant workers and college students are on the move to return home for family reunions.

This year, a total of 3.16 billion passenger trips are expected during the 40-day peak travel season (from Jan 8 to Feb 16), up 9.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

This year, the Spring Festival falls on January 23.