Real-name train ticketing helps capture 375 suspects

Conductor verifies the ID card of a passenger while checking his ticket at the railway station in Shijiazhuang of north China's Hebei Province, June 1, 2011. (Photo DB: Xinhua)

Chinese railway police said Monday that 375 wanted suspects were arrested during the country’s ongoing festival travel rush with the help of the real-name train ticketing system.

The system was introduced in early January to crack down on the rampant ticket scalping that typically thrives during the Lunar New Year travel rush, and requires travellers to submit a valid ID when purchasing train tickets, entering train stations or getting refunds for tickets.

It functioned well in preventing ticket scalping and turned out to be an effective tool for the police, said a statement released by the public security bureau of the Ministry of Railways (MOR).

The statement also revealed that those arrested include 38 suspects in violent crimes like murders and robberies.

Over 193 million passenger trips by train were made during the first 35 days of this year’s Spring Festival holidays travel rush, according to a previous report from the MOR.

news@theasian.asia