China's railways transported 1.154billion passengers in 2005, up 3.3 percent year-on-year and hitting a ten-year high, according to the Ministry of Railways.

According to statistics from the ministry, about 434.52 million passengers took long-distance trips, up 6.9 percent year-on-year.

Railways transported 2.686 billion tons of freight last year, up 8.2 percent compared with 2004.

Among the total freight, coal was 1.294 billion tons, up 10.8 percent; oil 153 million tons, up 7.5 percent; grains 118 million tons, up 2.1 percent.

Daqin Railway, the most important coal transporting railway in China, carried 200 million tons of coal in 2005.

An official with the ministry said that efficiency has also been improved. An average of 122,444 freight cars were loaded per day last year, 8,118 cars more than 2004, up 7.1 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2006)