Hard Goodbyes

February 7, Hefei, Anhui Province: A migrant worker tearfully bids farewell to his wife at the railway station. After a short reunion during the Spring Festival holiday, he must stay in the city to continue working while his wife has to return home to take care of children and seniors left behind there. The farewells after the Spring Festival family reunion are never easy, especially for migrant workers who are away from their families for most of the year.

During this year’s post-festival travel rush, some 11.5 million trips were made on China’s railways, a year-on-year increase of 11.3 percent. To cope with the increased demand, Chinese rail authorities added additional trains to transport college students and migrant workers heading back to school and work.