春節返鄉 一票難求 Train tickets in short supply

Transport authorities have taken contingency measures to ensure the smooth movement of people during the world`s largest annual migration that started on Saturday, but train tickets are still hard to get because of the gap between supply and demand.

上週六，一年一度、全球最大規模遷徙的春運正式拉開序幕。儘管交通部門已採取了應急預案來確保春運旅客的順暢出行，但供求之間巨大的缺口仍使得火車票一票難求。

Railway authorities will arrange 1,242 more trains every day on average during the 40-day peak travel season around the Lunar New Year holiday to meet the needs of an increasing number of migrant workers, the Ministry of Railways said on its website on Sunday.

上週日，鐵道部在其官網上發佈消息稱，在長達40天的春運期間，平均每日將加開列車612對，以滿足日益龐大的外來務工羣體的乘車需要。

A record 3.4 billion trips are expected to be made during this year`s Lunar New Year travel rush, which lasts for 40 days from Jan 26 to March 6, as Chinese return home for family reunions during the Spring Festival holiday.

春節是一個回家團聚的日子。今年春運從1月26日開始至3月6日截止，持續40天時間，預計出行人次將達34億，再創歷史新高。

The country`s rail network is expected to handle 225 million trips, while long-distance buses will complete 3.1 billion passenger trips, which combine to account for 99 percent of the overall national capacity, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

國家發改委表示，全國鐵路系統預計發送旅客2.25億人次，長途客運旅客運輸量將達到31億人次，兩項合計佔到全國客運能力總的99%。

Transport authorities across China should improve contingency plans targeting bad weather such as extreme low temperature, fog and heavy snow, Feng Zhenglin, vice-minister of transport, said ahead of the peak travel season.

交通部副部長馮正霖在春運高峯前表示，全國交通運輸部門要針對春運期間可能出現的冰凍、極寒、霧霾、大雪等極端惡劣天氣，完善春運應急運輸預案。

Chinese have traditionally favored road and train transportation, especially trains, for their safety and lower prices

中國人習慣通過公路、鐵路出行，而火車以其安全性高、價格低廉等特點成爲大衆出行的首選。

With a large number of people traveling during the period, getting a ticket, especially a train ticket, has been difficult every year. People often have to wait in long queues in railway stations, even over night.

每年春運期間，巨大的客流造成一票難求的景象，火車票尤其如此。人們不得不在火車站外排起長龍，甚至是整夜排隊。

To help migrant workers get train tickets, railway authorities have encouraged them to buy tickets in groups (normally with 10 or more people) so they can get tickets before the official date when tickets begin to be released, the Ministry of Railways said.

鐵道部稱，爲幫助外來務工人員購票返鄉，鐵路部門鼓勵他們以團體形式購票（一般不少於10人），這樣他們可在車票預售期前買到車票。

"In the past I usually bought train tickets at the railway station or its official agents, but now I always buy at home on my computer," said Wang Ying, a white-collar worker from East China`s Anhui province, who works in Beijing.

“過去我一般在火車站或售票點買票，但現在我都在家裏網上訂票。”從安徽來京工作的白領王穎（音譯）說。

"It saves me a lot of time. But still I found it very difficult to get a ticket before the Spring Festival, and all the tickets to my hometown seemed to be gone in a flash after they started selling online."

“這省下不少時間。但我還是覺得春節前一票難求，網上剛一開始放票，所有到我家的車票就被瞬間搶光了。”

Despite the convenience of online buying, many migrant workers, who often lack basic computer skills, found it hard to get a ticket online.

儘管網絡訂票方便快捷，但對於許多不具備電腦基本常識的外來務工人員來說，網絡訂票可謂困難重重。

Li Jun, a migrant worker who works in a restaurant in Beijing, said he finally got a ticket back home to Chengdu, Sichuan province, after visiting the Beijing Railway Station several times.

在北京某餐館打工的李俊（音譯）說，他跑了好幾趟火車站，終於買到一張回成都老家的車票。

"I heard it`s easier to get a ticket booking on the computer, but I don`t know how to use the computer," he said. "Luckily, I live near the railway station, so I can keep coming here to try and finally I got one."

“我聽說在網上訂票更方便，但是我不會用電腦。”他說，“幸好我住得離火車站很近，可以多來幾次試試運氣，終於買到了票。”

"It has always been very difficult to buy train tickets in recent years, not only for migrant workers, but also for all other groups such as white-collar workers," said Liu Xiao, a researcher in Beijing`s Anbound Consultancy.

“這幾年火車票都很難買，不只是外來務工人員，包括白領在內的其他人羣也是一票難求。”北京安邦諮詢公司的研究員劉曉（音譯）如是說。

"The root cause is the gap between supply and demand of train travel services," Liu said. "So we cannot blame the online booking for causing some migrant workers difficulty buying tickets."

“根本原因在於鐵路運輸服務供求之間的差距。”劉曉說，“因而我們不能將一些外來務工人員買不到票歸咎於網絡售票系統。”

Despite the great development of the railway network, China`s railway capacity still cannot meet the surging demand during the peak traffic season, due to billions of trips being made within a very short period of time, an official of the Ministry of Railways told Xinhua.

鐵道部的一位官員在接受新華社採訪時表示，儘管鐵路系統發展迅速，但因爲要在短時間內發送幾十億人次的旅客，國內鐵路運載力在出行高峯期仍難以滿足旅客暴增的需要。

"In the long run, balanced economic development among different regions can help reduce the need for immigration and can ultimately ease competition for buying train tickets during the Spring Festival period," said Liu.

“從長遠角度來講，不同區域間經濟的均衡發展可以降低人口流動的需求，並最終緩解春節期間的購票壓力。”劉曉說。