BEIJING, March 29 -- China's transport industry maintained its growth momentum in the first two months, with increases in key indicators such as freight volume and port cargo, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Total freight volume during the January-February period reached 8.03 billion tonnes, up 4.8 percent year on year, with road and waterway freight increasing 5.7 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.

Cargo throughput at the country's ports ticked up 2.3 percent from a year ago to hit 2.67 billion tonnes, with cargo throughput from domestic trade up 2.4 percent year on year.

During the first two months, inter-regional trips across the country jumped 4.9 percent year on year to hit 12.29 billion, according to the ministry.

The ministry data also showed that fixed-asset investment in the transport sector remained stable, standing at 366.5 billion yuan (about 51.08 billion U.S. dollars) during the period.