BEIJING — The total number of passenger trips topped 51.43 million on April 3, the first day of the nation's three-day Tomb-sweeping Day holiday, official data showed.

The reading jumped 157.26 percent from the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Transport.

China's railways are expected to see an increase in passenger flows during the three-day Tomb-sweeping Day holiday from April 3 to April 5.

April 2 saw approximately 11.8 million railway trips, setting a single-day record for this year, according to the China State Railway Group Co Ltd. (CSRC).

A peak of more than 14 million passenger trips in a single day is expected on April 3, said the CSRC.

The latest data also show that airlines handled nearly 1.54 million passenger trips in China on April 3, a jump of 369.2 percent compared to the first day of the holiday last year.

Tomb-sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, falls on April 4 this year. It is a traditional Chinese holiday during which people pay tribute to deceased family members. Many also spend the holiday traveling.