BEIJING, May 20 -- China saw a surge in railway passenger trips during the first four months of this year, data from the country's railway operator has shown.

In the January-April period, railways nationwide handled about 1.12 billion passenger trips, up 111.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

In April alone, about 328.6 million rail passenger trips were made, a surge of 477.4 percent year on year.

Data from the operator also revealed that rail freight volume, a key indicator of economic activities, increased 2 percent year on year to about 1.67 billion tonnes during the first four months of 2023.