As China prepared to usher in the Year of the Horse, Crystal Group, a garment manufacturer that produces clothes for retailers such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Mothercare, added a new task to its holiday “to do” list.

Dennis Wong, executive director at Crystal, says it bought 9,000 return train tickets for migrant workers in Dongguan who wanted to return home for the lunar new year – the biggest holiday in the Chinese calendar – and also helped them buy snacks for the often long trip from Guangdong province to their towns and villages.

While workers receive a free trip, more importantly, they no longer have to queue – or go online as is increasingly common – to buy tickets. Crystal also gains as workers are less likely to leave Guangdong earlier to secure a train or bus seat for the biggest annual migration on earth.