Roads, trains and airports packed as China’s National Day holiday ends

World Today

fawan holiday1Expressway turns into parking lot at a toll booth as people return to Beijing from holiday. Photo by Legal Evening News (fawan.com)

Roads and railways across China are creaking under the traffic load as millions of people return home from a week-long National Day holiday.

Heavy fog made things worse in northern China, forcing parts of expressways to close on Tuesday morning. When the expressways reopened in regions including Beijing, Hebei and Shandong, it was to record traffic.

Passengers wait to enter the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 6, 2015. As the week-long National Day holidays draw to an end, railway stations across the country witnessed a travel rush on Oct. 6. China's National Day falls on Oct. 1. (Photo by Xinhua)

Passengers wait to enter the Beijing Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 6, 2015. As the week-long National Day holidays draw to an end, railway stations across the country witnessed a travel rush on Oct. 6. China’s National Day falls on Oct. 1. (Photo by Xinhua)

The Highway Monitoring and Response Center says large and medium-sized cities across the country saw a dramatic increase in traffic flow starting at noon. And it’s set to continue until Wednesday night, when National Day holiday ends.

Lots of passengers are seen at the waiting hall of the Suzhou Railway Station in Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Oct. 6, 2015. As the week-long National Day holidays draw to an end, many parts across the country witnessed a travel rush Tuesday. (Photo by Xinhua)

Lots of passengers are seen at the waiting hall of the Suzhou Railway Station in Suzhou City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 6, 2015. As the week-long National Day holidays draw to an end, many parts across the country witnessed a travel rush Tuesday. (Photo by Xinhua)

Meanwhile, railway authorities predict about 11 million passenger trips will be made today. Over 370 trains will be added to ease the traffic load.

Photo by Legal Evening News (fawan.com)

Photo by Legal Evening News (fawan.com)

Story compiled with information from CCTV News, Xinhua