Guangdong Province is a key hub during the Spring Festival travel rush in southern China. And this year, for travelers heading home, they have new transportation choices.

Open for a month, the Beijing to Guangzhou high speed railway is already facing its greatest test, the Chinese Spring Festival Rush. The line has been running smoothly since the opening of the Guangzhou to Wuhan section, and the new northern section is carrying more passengers to more destinations.

Liu Hui, assistant station chief of Guangzhou South Station, said, "At the moment about 150 thousand passengers pass through this station each day. North-bound traffic accounts for about 75 percent, and of those, about 30 percent will continue to travel beyond Wuhan, So we can say the opening of the new line has brought a lot more passengers."

Most people are attracted by the line's convenience. The opening of the Beijing to Guangzhou extension means "home" is now no longer so far away for many travellers.

Passenger in Guangzhou said, "My hometown is in Shanxi Province, and I used to go home by ordinary train, but they were so crowded and it took more than 20 hours. This year, bullet trains go directly to my hometown and it only takes 8 hours; I cannot wait to try it! "

But high speed also means a higher price. Although high speed tickets are cheaper than flying and dearer than ordinary trains, the price is still a problem for many passengers.

Another passenger said, "It is about four times the price of ordinary train tickets, but the Spring Festival is only once a year. It is a big day; I must go home, even at a higher price."

But the spring festival rush is still a challenge that China will face for many years to come. People hope the development of high speed railway lines will bring relief to everyone who longs to go home.

In the past few years, China has achieved major progress building high speed lines. They have brought great convenience, and with more new lines connecting different parts of China, more people will be able to enjoy their convenience.

(CNTV.cn February 4, 2013)