BEIJING - Chinese railways recorded nearly 8.7 million trips on Friday, one day before a three-day holiday to mark the traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day which falls on April 5 this year.

Railway stations in megacities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou were the busiest, registering more than 3.8 million departures on Friday, according to data released by the China Railway Corporation.

The company forecast railway trips will exceed 10 million on Saturday.

The Tomb-Sweeping Day is a traditional occasion when Chinese mourn late family members.

Apart from tomb-sweeping, Chinese also use this occasion to conduct sightseeing excursions as warm spring encourages outdoor activities.