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Shanghai Railway Station, which experienced extremely heavy passenger volume during the recent Spring Festival holiday, is predicting another passenger boom this spring, the season during which Chinese mourn their deceased family members.

The station estimates that, during the period beginning 20 days before and ending 20 days after April 5, "Tomb-Sweeping Day", 3.65 million passengers will pass through the station via rail, a figure which would constitute a year-on-year rise of 5.8 percent.

In mid-February, the station conducted a survey of Suzhou, Wuxi and Ningbo, cities near Shanghai and the sites of a great number of tombs of the ancestors of Shanghai residents.

The survey predicts that the surge in passenger volume will occur over 10 weekends during the period beginning March 15 and ending April 13. March 29 is predicted as the peak travel day depending on the weather, according to the survey, with an expected 130,000 passenger departures and arrivals, a record high figure which would match the Spring Festival peak.

From March 11 to April 19, the station will add 15 pairs of air-conditioned trains to run between Shanghai and its nearby " tomb-sweeping" destinations.

The station also pledged to provide better ticket access as well as flower sales, refreshments and drinks on weekends, all necessary for paying tribute to ancestors.