GUANGZHOU, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Guangzhou Railway Group had 1.18 million passengers Thursday, the first day of China's Spring Festival travel rush.

The number of high-speed rail passengers hit 800,000, up 10.8 percent year on year, taking up 67.4 percent of total passengers.

The Spring Festival travel rush this year begins Thursday and will last until March 12. The Spring Festival falls on Feb. 16 this year. Hundreds of millions of Chinese will return to their hometown for family gatherings or travel around the country.

The Guangzhou Railway Group added 39 extra train services to southwest China's Sichuan Province, Chongqing Municipality, central China's Hubei Province, Hunan Province and east China's Jiangxi Province Thursday. The railway group will add 59 extra trains Friday.