Feb 13, 2008, 9:42 GMT
Beijing - Millions of Chinese returned this week from the Chinese New Year holiday without large problems, in contrast to the transport chaos that China's worst winter weather in 50 years caused at the beginning of the festivities, state media reported Wednesday.
Persistent delays because of ice and snow in the south caused delays this week during China's biggest travel season, the Railway Ministry said, but overall, transport by trains, buses and airplanes proceeded fairly smoothly, the government said.
More than 700 additional trains were put into service to handle the return travel peak, which hit Tuesday. Beijing's western train station, one of four in the capital, handled more than 100,000 passengers that day alone.
At the start of the holiday travel season a week and half ago, bad weather stranded millions of Chinese at railway stations.
The bad weather killed at least 80 people, destroyed 300,000 homes, damaged 90 million hectares of crops and caused direct economic losses estimated at 80 billion yuan (11 billion dollars) in 19 provinces, the Chinese Red Cross Society said.
The Chinese New Year began February 7, and most factories and construction sites close, allowing their workers to return to their families to celebrate.
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