China's national railways transport 3.05 billion metric tons of freight in first three quarters

(ECNS) -- China's national railways transported 3.05 billion metric tons of freight in the first three quarters of 2026, sustaining high freight volumes, China Railway said on Tuesday.

The railways handled an average of 188,000 freight carloads per day during the period, up slightly year on year, according to China Railway.

To ensure supplies of key materials, railway authorities stepped up coal shipments from major coal-producing regions, including Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

From January through September, the national railways transported 1.56 billion metric tons of coal, including 1.04 billion metric tons of coal for power generation.

Railway authorities also supported the transport of agricultural products by opening dedicated fast-track channels and giving priority to grain trasnportation.

Grain shipments on the national railways totaled 88.96 million metric tons in the first three quarters, up 15% year on year. In September, as the autumn harvest season began, the volume reached 10.25 million metric tons, up 26% year on year.

(By Gong Weiwei)