BEIJING — China's rail cargo volume, a key indicator of economic activities, rose 2.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of the year, data from the China State Railway Group Co Ltd (China Railway) shows.

A total of 948 million metric tons of cargo was transported on China's railways in the period, 25.87 million tons more than that in the same period last year, according to the company.

Noting the strong demand for railway freight transport in the first quarter, a China Railway official said that China's railways have strengthened support for the transportation of anti-COVID-19 supplies, industry raw materials and products, agricultural materials, and coal.

In the period, 43.79 million tons of seeds and agricultural materials were transported, up 8.8 percent year-on-year. Coal used for power generation carried on railways totaled 350 million tons, up 6.5 percent year-on-year and ensuring coal storage in 363 power supply plants for 21.7 days.

Rail cargo transport through the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor soared 56.5 percent to 170,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers, and the China-Laos Railway carried 260,000 tons of goods for import and export.