BEIJING — China has adjusted and optimized its railway operating plan with the Spring Festival travel rush around the corner, according to the China State Railway Group Co Ltd. (China Railway).

Starting Jan 20, a total of 325 passenger trains and 114 freight trains have been newly added across the country to increase the railway passenger and freight capacity during the travel rush.

The adjustment has fully taken into consideration newly laid tracks between late 2020 and early 2021, the expansion of transport capacity and epidemic control and prevention requirements, the corporation noted.

China's Spring Festival travel rush will span from Jan 28 to March 8 this year.

Given a nearly 60-percent drop year-on-year in train ticket bookings, China Railway last week lowered its railway trip forecast to 296 million for the travel rush.

The operator previously predicted that China would see 407 million railway passenger trips during the travel rush.