Travelers returning home from their Spring Festival travels were forced to delay arrangements as rain and snow caused flight cancellations in Northeast and South China, according to China Daily.
In addition to cancelled flights, several highways were also closed as a result of the inclement weather.
Approximately 20,000 passengers were stranded in Dalian, Liaoning Province, due to blizzard conditions in the region on Saturday, Feb. 13. Most of them chose to remain at Dalian International Airport, where over 300 flights were either cancelled or delayed. Services resumed on Sunday, Feb. 14, as 73 flights received the go signal from the airport management.
Jilin, Hebei and Shandong Provinces also experienced near blizzard conditions as snow hit the area, forcing officials to close off some highways to avoid road accidents. Meanwhile, heavy rain pounded on Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces.
Due to the flight cancellations and road closures, travelers stranded in Northeast China were given the option to ask for ticket refunds and take the train.
"I had no other option but to choose the railway, as I need to rush back to work," a passenger with the surname Yang shared with China Daily. Her flight, which was scheduled for take-off at 11 p.m., Feb. 13, was cancelled due to the blizzard.
Thankfully, majority or over 60 percent of China Railway Corp.'s train fleet is composed of high-speed trains, travelling up to 300 kilometers an hour. Most of these trains were also used for the 40-day Spring Rush travel peak.
China is also home to the world's largest high-speed rail network, encompassing 19,000 kilometers.
Train facilities and stations have also been upgraded to match the development of China's high-speed rails.
"Compared with 10 years ago, the environment for those buying tickets and waiting for trains has improved a lot," said Zhou Yuan, deputy director of Nanchang Railway Station in Jiangxi Province's capital. "With the launch of online booking and self-service ticket machines, people don't have to wait in long lines. The waiting halls have also been enlarged."
About 10.3 million journeys were made by train on Saturday, according to China Railway Corp.