Things are returning back to normal at the Shanghai Railway Station after days of massive delays, station officials announced yesterday.

The station resumed selling tickets yesterday for 17 trains headed to nine cities in western China, six days ahead of schedule.

Only four trains travelling along the Longhai Line, a major east-west rail artery that was blocked by heavy snow last week, were delayed arriving at the station yesterday.

Travelers with tickets for the four trains were allowed to wait in the station's waiting room, rather than huddle in an underground garage that was converted into a temporary waiting room last Friday, when tens of thousands of rail passengers were delayed at the station.

"They didn't wait a long time as the whole railway system is getting back on track," said Sun Lei, an official with the station's information office.

The four trains are headed for western cities, including Chengdu and Xi'an, Sun said.

Several major cities reported massive delays along train lines last Friday as snow storms lashed central China, causing havoc on two major rail lines: the Longhai Line, which runs from Lianyungang in Jiangsu Province to Lanzhou, Gansu Province, and the Beijing-Guangzhou Line.

Before the snow, the country's railway system was already facing a challenge as millions of people are expected to leave major cities for their hometowns to enjoy the Spring Festival, which begins on Sunday. In Shanghai, more than 20,000 people were delayed for an average of 15 hours on Friday.

(Shanghai Daily January 25, 2006)