GUANGZHOU, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- More than 70 percent of passengers in southern parts of China who travel during the lunar new year holiday will take high-speed train rides, according to China Railway Guangzhou Group.

The company, which manages the railway system in Guangdong, Hunan and Hainan provinces, is a critical part of China's railway system. Guangdong Province has large numbers of migrant workers.

The company has arranged more high-speed trains this year to meet rising public demand, the group said.

The 2018 Spring Festival travel rush, known as Chunyun, started Thursday. The Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 16 this year.

Millions of Chinese people return to their hometowns to celebrate the week-long holiday, the most important occasion to reunite with family. Most Chinese prefer using trains to return home as it is reliable and relatively cheap.

Guangzhou is expected to see more than 540 million passenger trips this year, accounting for about 14 percent of total rail transport in China, according to the group.

Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Sichuan are among the top destinations, the company said.

During the Spring Festival travel rush, which lasts 40 days, Chinese people are estimated to make 2.98 billion trips this year, making it the world's largest annual human migration.