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In the waiting hall of Shaoxing North Railway Station, a calligrapher presents the character "fu" to a passenger. [Photo/Tide News]

The 2026 Spring Festival travel rush commenced on Feb 2. On the first day, operations at Shaoxing North Railway Station were smooth and orderly, with an estimated 16,000 passenger trips handled. The primary passenger flow consisted of migrant workers returning home and those traveling for family visits and tourism.

In the waiting hall, a new year blessing event added a touch of warmth to people's journeys. Calligraphers from Yuecheng district wrote couplets and the character "fu" (fortune) on-site, presenting cultural gift packs to passengers heading in all directions.

Smart security is emerging as a highlight of this year's travel rush. The newly deployed patrol robot "Iron Police No 1" began its duties within the station. Equipped with functions such as facial recognition, abnormal behavior alerts, and passenger flow monitoring, it functions like a mobile "safety service station", enhancing the station's dynamic security capabilities.

To handle the expected passenger peak, the station plans to add 12 temporary passenger trains on top of the peak operation schedule already in effect. These additions will mainly supplement capacity to destinations like Anhui and Jiangxi provinces, as well as to cities within the province such as Hangzhou and Ningbo. 

In terms of service, the station has increased the number of windows, deployed additional volunteers, and introduced a dedicated security lane for pregnant women. Platform guidance signage has also been updated to ensure passenger journeys are both smooth and comfortable.