BEIJING -- China's railway system transported more than 4.31 billion passengers in 2024, up 11.9 percent year-on-year, according to the National Railway Administration.

Railway cargo transportation volume approached 5.18 billion tonnes last year, reflecting a 2.8-percent growth compared to the previous year.

In terms of investment, China's railway sector saw fixed-asset investment amount to 850.6 billion yuan (around $118.39 billion) in 2024. During the same period, 3,113 km of new railway lines were inaugurated, about 79 percent of which are high-speed railways.

As the modern railway network continued to expand, China's total operational length of lines reached 162,000 km in 2024, including over 48,000 km of high-speed railway lines.

Furthermore, railway transportation remained safe, stable, and orderly throughout 2024, with no severe railway traffic accidents in China, the administration added.