China's railways carried a record 221 million passengers during a 40-day Spring Festival travel rush period that ended on Sunday, the Ministry of Railways said Monday.


A passenger walks on a platform at Hefei Railway Station in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 27, 2011. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Railways on Monday, China's railway service saw a record 221 million passenger arrivals and departures, an increase of 8.3 percent from that in the last Spring Festival travel season, during a 40-day Spring Festival travel rush period that just ended on Sunday. (Xinhua/Li Jian)
The figure represents an increase of 8.3 percent from the last Spring Festival period, said the ministry in an online statement.


The daily transport capacity in five out of the 40 days exceeded the previous record of 6.37 million set last year, it said.


Passengers walk on a platform at Hefei Railway Station in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 27, 2011. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Railways on Monday, China's railway service saw a record 221 million passenger arrivals and departures, an increase of 8.3 percent from that in the last Spring Festival travel season, during a 40-day Spring Festival travel rush period that just ended on Sunday. (Xinhua/Li Jian)
A new record was established on Feb. 19 with 7.13 million passengers traveling on that day, it added.


Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, fell on Feb. 3 this year. It is the most important festival of family reunion for the Chinese.


VietNamNet/Xinhuanet