The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planning authority and pricing watchdog, has announced that train ticket prices for the upcoming peak Spring Festival season in 2008 will remain unchanged.

This is the second straight year that the government has ruled out any rise in ticket prices during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday period, one of the busiest transport seasons apart from the "golden weeks" of May and October.

In the face of rising prices, NDRC will join forces with the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Communications to work out measures for easing the pressure of fuel consumption for commuters, an NDRC official said at a press briefing Wednesday.

Local governments are required to alleviate the cost burden of transport operators by adjusting local guide prices or using subsidies from central and local budgets.

The NDRC put an end to tradition train ticket prices hike during the Spring Festival for the first time in 2007.

The Ministry of Railways initiated the rise in 2003 with the excuse of easing surging pressure on the railway system during the Spring Festival holidays. But it was later widely blamed for collecting unreasonable profits as the move increased people's expenses yet failed to improve their services amid the surge of number of passengers.

沪江小编：今年听到最多的词可能就是“涨价”，猪肉涨价，青菜涨价，方便面涨价，真是涨价不稀奇，不涨价才是新闻。不过还真就有这样的新闻了。之前听说能源涨价的时候小编还想，接下来可能就是春运票价涨价了。近日，国家发改委说，08年春运期间火车票价不上浮，公路票价可以在政府指导价规定幅度内适当浮动。火车车票不涨价对大家来说无疑是个好消息咯，希望今年打击黄牛也能更有成效。

　　　

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