China's railways carry record 3.71 billion passengers in first nine months
China's national railway network handled a record 3.71 billion passenger trips in the first three quarters of this year, up 4.8 percent year on year, according to China State Railway Group.
Several new high-speed railway lines and stations entered service during the period, including the Xiong'an-Shangqiu, Xi'an-Ankang, Yichang-Xingshan and Harbin-Yichun sections.
To meet growing travel demand, the national railway operator increased services to an average of 11,511 passenger trains per day, 5.3 percent more than during the same period last year.
Railway tourism also contributed to domestic consumption. A total of 2,860 dedicated tourist trains operated nationwide during the first nine months, up 25.5 percent year on year, serving sightseeing, wellness and educational travel.
Cross-border passenger traffic also recorded strong growth. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway handled 25.85 million trips, up 11.8 percent, while the China-Laos Railway carried 265,000 cross-border passenger trips, an increase of 37.8 percent.
China's railway network also recorded 19 million trips by foreign passengers during the period, representing year-on-year growth of 33.4 percent.
According to CCTV+, the passenger growth has been supported by the expansion of China's high-speed rail network, increased train services and the development of tourism and cross-border railway routes.
