BEIJING, Jan. 27 -- China saw a remarkable increase in passenger trips on Friday as this year's Spring Festival travel rush began, according to official data released on Saturday.

A total of 189 million passenger trips were made nationwide on Friday, up 19.7 percent from last year, according to a special work team comprising multiple government departments including the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Public Security, and the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

Specifically, railway passenger trips hit 11 million, marking a surge of 78 percent year on year.

Passenger trips via road, waterway and air increased 16.6 percent, 48.6 percent and 111.8 percent, respectively, as per the work team.

The travel rush, also known as "chunyun," will see hundreds of millions of people return home and reunite with their friends and families.

The Spring Festival holiday this year in China runs from Feb. 10 to 17.