Chinese railway police have arrested 446 people for scalping train tickets during the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Ministry of Public Security said Monday.

During the seven-day holiday which ended Feb. 19, railway police raided 47 dens scalping train tickets, the ministry said on its website.

Police arrested about 6,000 people for scalping train tickets and confiscated more than 27,000 tickets ahead of the Spring Festival, since the ministry launched the crackdown on Jan. 21.

The Spring Festival fell on Feb. 14 this year. It is the most important traditional Chinese festival for family reunions.

More than 29.6 million passengers travelled by train during the Spring Festival holiday from Feb. 13 to Feb. 19, up 11.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Railways (MOR).

The MOR estimated 2.54 billion journeys would be made during the 40-day rush period beginning Jan. 30.