Hangzhou East Railway Station is packed with passengers during holidays. [Photo/Tide News]

Railway stations in Hangzhou are expected to handle 1.98 million passenger trips during the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival holiday travel period from June 18 to 22, up 10 percent year-on-year, according to local railway authorities.

The average daily passenger volume is forecast to reach 396,000, with a peak of 510,000 travelers expected on June 19, the first day of the holiday.

To meet rising demand, Hangzhou railway authorities will add 74.5 pairs of passenger trains on top of existing peak-period services. Additional trains will connect Hangzhou with major cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, Nanchang, Changsha, Fuzhou, Hefei, Zhengzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou and Xiamen.

Rail operators may also introduce extra temporary trains, increase train capacity and add carriages based on real-time passenger flows.

To improve travel convenience, Hangzhou East and Hangzhou West railway stations will operate overnight services on June 18 and June 21. Railway authorities will also coordinate with local transport departments to extend metro services and increase bus capacity to ensure smooth onward travel for passengers.

More than 60 volunteers will be deployed daily at Hangzhou East Railway Station during the holiday period to provide information, guidance and passenger assistance services.

A police officer helps a passenger at a railway station in Hangzhou. [Photo/Tide News]