BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua)-- China's controversial policy of raising railway ticket prices during the busy Spring Festival travel season will be scrapped, said Chinese Ministry of Railways spokesman Wang Yongping on Wednesday.

    Wang confirmed at the annual national railway working conference that railway ticket prices for all kinds of trains will not be raised during the 40-day-long Chinese lunar new year holiday season that falls this year between Feb. 3 and March 14.

    The spokesman confirmed that the policy has been scrapped once and for all.

    China adopted the policy of raising ticket prices during the spring travel season to help ease travel peaks.

    During the past Spring travel season, fares for ordinary hard seats increased 15 percent while those for other seats went up 20 percent.

    Wang said that passengers should be quick to arrange their travel as cheaper fares might attract more travelers.

    He said that a total of 156 million people were expected to travel by train during the upcoming holiday season.