To ease the pressure of huge crowds flooding to get tickets home during next month's Lunar New Year, a 10,000-sq m temporary ticket office with 200 windows - the largest of its kind ever built in China - opened at the north square of the Shanghai Railway Station yesterday.

"I came to the railway station this morning at 6 am and was allowed to enter the ticket office at noon," said a 47-year-old Shanghai resident surnamed Gu who was standing at the head of the line at window No 1.

After nine hours of waiting, Gu got three tickets for Xi'an on Feb 9. "I am so exhausted but it's worthwhile. I wasn't sure whether I'd get the tickets and now I feel so lucky. I think the 200 windows make it more convenient," he said.