Chinese begin big rush back home on planes, trains and automobiles as new year holiday ends
But journeys of hundreds of millions could be slowed by fog, snow and rain over the weekend
Traffic surged at China’s railway stations, airports and highways on Friday as millions of workers began their journeys back to work after the week-long Lunar New Year holiday.
But many were delayed with the arrival of another cold front that brought heavy fog.
The China Railway Group said it handled just over 9 million passengers on Friday, 6.9 per cent more than last year as most people travelling home would return to work on Sunday.
READ MORE: Cold snap could delay travellers heading back to jobs after Chinese New Year
The railways carried 7.9 million passengers on Thursday, 4.5 per cent more than last year.
From Friday to Sunday, a strong cold front would sweep southeastward across China, bringing strong winds, rain and snow to the northern, central and eastern regions, the National Meteorological Centre said.
Temperatures would drop by up to 14 degrees Celsius over the three days.