China's passenger flow will hit 2.042 billion persons in the 2006 Spring Festival period, up 3.1 percent over the equivalent time last year, according to official estimate.

People to travel by railway will reach 144 million, while those through road transportation will be 1.8 billion and the number via aircraft will stand at 15 million, said the State Development and Reform Commission.

The commission has urged relative departments to arrange additional trains, buses, ships and planes to meet the travel surge, especially more trains in the regions with large flow of students and migrant workers.

The authority also required local governments to coordinate the two major petroleum companies to ensure oil supply during transportation season, especially the supply of diesel oil.

The transportation period of Spring Festival, China's traditional lunar New Year which starts on Jan. 29, 2006, will last from Jan. 14 to Feb. 22.

The holiday is an important occasion for Chinese families, similar to Christmas in the western world.

For years, transport facilities have strained during the season as throngs of migrant workers, college students and other Chinese flock back home and then return to the places where they work and study.

(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2005)