China's railway passenger trips up 6 pct in first three quarters

BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's railway network saw a surge in passenger trips in the first three quarters of this year, with a total of 3.54 billion passenger trips made, up 6 percent year on year, according to the country's railway operator.

This figure represents a record high for the same period in history, said China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., adding that railway transportation remained safe, stable and orderly.

The railway operator made full use of newly-operating railway lines and stations to increase transport capacity and made flexible adjustments to train operation plans in the first three quarters. An average of 11,087 passenger trains were operating daily during the period, up 7.1 percent year on year, the company said.

Cross-border passenger transport also gained momentum, with the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and the China-Laos Railway handling 23.31 million and 197,000 cross-border passenger trips, respectively, during the nine-month period. This effectively facilitated personnel exchanges, as well as trade and business activities.