BEIJING -- China's railway system saw a surge in passengers as Chinese started their trips back home for the lunar new year in early February.

Chinese railway network is expected to see 10.47 million trips on Sunday, up 16.9 percent year-on-year, official data showed.

Railway operators rolled out new measures to upgrade services, including priority check-in service for passengers arriving within 15 minutes before departure, and nurseries and reading rooms.

The Spring Festival travel rush started from Monday and will last till March 1, during which railway trips are expected to hit 413 million in total, up 8.3 percent from a year ago.

According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, the Year of the Pig starts on Feb. 5, and the public holiday associated with it lasts from Feb. 4 to 10.

Hundreds of millions of Chinese return to their hometowns for family reunions during the Spring Festival holiday.