China's rail freight volume up 3.5% in Jan-Aug

BEIJING -- China's national railways transported approximately 2.68 billion metric tons of goods in the first eight months of 2025, which was up 3.5 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the national railway operator on Tuesday.

The China State Railway Group Co Ltd (CSRG) data showed that an average of 184,000 freight cars were loaded each day, up 4.3 percent from the same period last year.

From January to August, coal transported via national railways totaled 1.38 billion tons, providing stable support for the country's power supply system during peak electricity consumption periods.

CSRG says it has worked to provide more efficient logistics solutions this year. Rail-water container shipments hit 11.48 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the eight-month period, rising 17.5 percent year-on-year.

CSRG has also strengthened its cooperation with railway operators in other countries. Cross-border freight services such as the China-Europe Railway Express and China-Central Asia freight trains have maintained smooth, stable operations.