China's railway authorities have introduced multiple passenger-friendly transfer services, including the arrangement of more trains and coordination with local public transit systems, to meet people's travel needs during the ongoing National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, running from Oct 1 to 8.
The country's railway network is expected to handle a total of 18.25 million passenger trips on Friday, the third day of the eight-day holiday, with an additional 929 trains arranged to accommodate the demand.
To meet nighttime transportation needs of passengers, the railway authorities have strengthened coordination with local bus, subway and ride-hailing services.
In Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, more late-night buses have been added based on the arrival times of high-speed trains, with operations lasting until 04:00 a.m.
"We utilize the intelligent dispatch system for real-time passenger flow analysis, flexibly increasing the frequency of 13 bus services passing through high-speed rail stations to meet the diverse travel needs of residents and tourists," said Wei Yanshan, a staff member at the Operations Management Department of Linyi Public Transport Group.
The passenger-friendly services also include convenient charging facilities for travelers, such as the free charging station at Lintong Railway Station in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
"It supports wireless charging and fast charging. I can fully charge my phone while waiting for the train. What's more, it's free. I think it's very convenient," said Mr. Li, a passenger.
China's railway authorities roll out passenger-friendly services for holiday travel rush
Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda have surpassed 600 as response efforts face operational constraints, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Tuesday.
In its latest outbreak update, the African Union's specialized continental public health agency said confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC and Uganda have reached 608, with the death toll climbing to 102 as of Monday.
Uganda has reported no new confirmed cases in the last 24 hours. In the DRC, 45 new confirmed cases were reported during the past 24 hours, bringing the total there to 589, according to the Africa CDC.
The Africa CDC warned that ongoing response efforts are "facing significant operational constraints," noting that health facilities in several affected areas are in poor condition and often lack potable water, incinerators, personal protective equipment, and decontamination supplies.
Insecurity, a shortage of ambulances, growing staffing pressures with some health workers unpaid or without incentives, and poor roads are further slowing access and response operations, it said, while highlighting the existing lack of community trust as "a critical challenge" jeopardizing ongoing response efforts.
The agency also expressed concern over the negative impacts of travel restrictions imposed on affected and at-risk African countries despite guidance from the World Health Organization and the Africa CDC.
The Africa CDC outlined several "immediate priorities," including strengthening community engagement and risk communication, fast-tracking multidisciplinary rapid response teams to high-risk areas, addressing gaps in infection prevention and safe burial, as well as enhancing surveillance and contact follow-up.
Ebola cases in DR Congo, Uganda surpass 600 amid operational constraints: Africa CDC
