BEIJING — China's railways recorded a spike in railway passenger trips on Jan 1, the first day of the three-day New Year holiday, the national railway operator said.

A total of 9.89 million railway passenger trips were recorded on the first day of 2021, according to the China State Railway Group Co Ltd.

The figure was 481,000 more than that on Jan 1, 2020, an increase of 5.1 percent, it added.

Authorities have taken precautions against COVID-19, including taking the temperatures of passengers both inside and outside of stations, arranging separate seats for passengers with fever symptoms, as well as properly ventilating and disinfecting the environment.

The railway operator estimated that there would be 7.2 million railway passenger trips on Jan 2, and it will put 386 additional trains into operation to meet the demand.