PHOTO - Xinhua/Jiang Han
BEIJING, Sept 19 - The number of rail passengers in China reached a new high between January and August thanks to strong travel demand, according to official data.
In the first eight months of this year, nearly three billion passengers were carried on the railway network, up 14.5 percent from a year ago, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. said, adding that the railway system has maintained safe and stable operations.
In this period, the railway operator dispatched an average of 10,730 trains per day, which is 10.5 percent more than a year ago.
Cross-border rail services have also seen strong growth. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway recorded nearly 18 million passengers, up 46 percent year-on-year, while the China-Laos railway handled 163,000 passengers.
The sharp increase in rail travel this year has been supported by a booming tourist market, especially during major holidays such as Spring Festival, May Day and Mid-Autumn Festival.
Xinhua/ gnews - RoZ_07
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