Passengers are about to board a train at Chongqing North Railway Station in Chongqing, southwest China, Sept 29, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING — China's railways recorded 1.15 billion passenger trips in the third quarter of this year, an increase of 11.6 percent over the same period in 2019, the country's railway operator said Friday.

Nearly 20.1 million passenger railway trips were made on Sept 29, a record high, said the China State Railway Group Co, Ltd.

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To cope with robust travel demand in the third quarter, China increased the capacity of railways by putting more trains into service.

Some 10,169 passenger trains were in use daily during the period, an increase of 13.9 percent over the same period of 2019.