BEIJING, Aug. 31 -- China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. on Saturday reported steady operation in the first half of the year, with total operating revenue and net profit reaching 579.4 billion yuan (about 81.46 billion U.S. dollars) and 1.7 billion yuan, respectively.

Railway passenger trips in China hit a record high of nearly 2.1 billion during the period, up 18.4 percent year on year, said the country's railway operator.

An average of 10,256 passenger trains were operated daily in the first half of the year, up 9.4 percent year on year, said the company.

More than 1.92 billion tonnes of goods were transported by railways in the first half.

Fixed-asset investment in the railway sector reached 337.3 billion yuan in the period, increasing by 10.6 percent year on year and hitting a record high, said the company.

In the first half of the year, China-Europe freight trains transported more than 1.04 million 20-foot equivalent units of goods, up 11 percent from a year ago.