The Guangzhou railway stationin the capital of south China's economic powerhouse of Guangdong, has reported 148,000 people leaving the city by train Monday.

This figure is close to last year's station record.

Guangzhou During the transport peak season 800,000 passengers, almost the population of a middle-sized city have used the railway.

A passenger surge usually occurs before and after China's Lunar New Year, known as the Spring Festival, which is to fall on February 12 this year.

All departure tickets from the station before the New Year have been sold out. The railway department has warned people to use other means of transport.

Long-distance road traffic has yet to reach such heights, since the price is much higher than railway tickets.

( Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2002)