BEIJING -- Chinese train bookings have surged and the country's railways are expected to see a record number of passengers for the upcoming seven-day National Day Holiday that starts on Oct 1.

The China Railways Corporation said on Friday that tickets for train trips through the holiday became available for booking starting Sept 9. As of Sept 18, more than 85.6 million tickets were sold, up 13.3 percent year on year, according to the company.

Nearly 10.4 million ticket bookings were made on Thursday, which marked the highest record for daily ticket sales, the company said.

Online ticket sales have become the primary choice for passengers, with a total of 44.6 million tickets sold online from Sept. 9 to 18, accounting for 52 percent of all sales, data from the company showed.