BEIJING — China's rail freight transport volume, an indicator of broad economic activity, rose 3.9 percent year-on-year in May, a sign of recovery from the COVID-19 shock after continuous efforts to contain the epidemic.

The country's State-operated railways carried 299 million metric tons of freight last month, increasing 11.15 million tons from a year ago, according to data from the China State Railway Group Co Ltd.

During the January-May period, the railways transported a total of 1.39 billion tons of cargo, an increase of 2.7 percent from the same period last year.

State-operated railways handle the majority of the country's rail freight transport. Apart from State-operated railways, China also has rail lines operated by local governments and enterprises.

The continuous growth of railway cargo transport, whose operation has been at a high level, reveals the sound momentum of the resumption of China's economic and social development order, said an official with the company.