Shanghai's railway authority issued an urgent notice this morning to halt ticket sales as the worst snow in 50 years caused transport chaos in many parts of China.

All long-distance ticket sales were cancelled for today, tomorrow and Wednesday even though the country is heading into its annual rail peak for the Spring Festival, Eastday.com reported today.

Many trains have been delayed due to inclement weather in other parts of the country, thus stranding passengers at Shanghai's railway stations. Ticket sales were stopped so that room could be made on trains in the next few days for these stranded passengers.

The Shanghai Railway Station has ceased ticket sales on every route but ticket holders can still use its wickets for refunds.

Trains to Hangzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang Province will still depart at Shanghai South Railway Station, the report said.

Shanghai South Railway Station has reserved exclusive wickets for refunds, the report said.

Heavy snow since mid-January has killed dozens of people and created transport havoc in central and eastern regions of the country.

The national forecasting authority said the freezing weather will continue over the next week.

Guizhou's provincial government said more than 40,000 people were stranded in at least 5,000 broken-down vehicles on expressways between Guizhou and neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In Jiangsu Province, snow virtually closed Nanjing's airport.

After train delays between Beijing and Guangzhou on Saturday, the number of passengers stranded in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, soared to 30,000 yesterday.

(Shanghai Daily January 29, 2008)