The Chinese lunar year falls on February 3rd, and the annual mass migration home is about to begin. As many railway stations across the country are bracing for the crowds, local authorities are taking various new measures to cope. Peter Koveos takes a look.

This year's travel peak will begin on Wednesday and last for 40 days.

With passenger numbers up from last year, the Wuhan Railway Station in central China's Hubei province is using new measures to ease the crush, including phone booking.

Over 6-thousand lines are available for booking tickets and inquiries.

It's also the first time for real name registration for buying tickets.

And the railway station is making every effort to enhance transport capability.

Ding Kongxin, Deputy Head of Wuhan Railway Station Bureau, said, "Nearly 7-hundred extra trains will be running before the Spring Festival, and over 1-thousand after the holiday. During the interval, more than 2-thousand temporary trains will be added."

Further north, the Zhengzhou Railway Station in Henan Province is also doing its best to deal with the annual frenzy.

Authorities have upgraded the telephone ticket booking system, and are trying a novel approach to communication.

Niu Jianfeng, Head of Publicity of Zhengzhou Railway Station Bureau, said, "It's the first time for the Zhengzhou Railway Bureau to use a micro blog. It helps us inform the public of the latest schedule during the Spring Festival holiday."

As cold snap continues to grip Guizhou Province in southwest of the country, most travelers are opting for the train.

Guiyang railway authorities have an emergency response system to cope with the massive passenger flow.

Staff have also set up temporary ticket booths, and opened more windows.

With this year's Spring Festival passenger numbers expected to break records, the challenge is on to ensure every passenger a safe and secure journey home.