Rail freight expands faster in H1

Source: Xinhua | 2018-09-03

China’s railway freight volume, an indicator of broad economic activity, expanded at a faster pace in the first seven months of this year.

Railways carried a total of 2.29 billion tons of cargo during the January-July period, up 7.9 percent from one year earlier, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

The growth accelerated from the 7.7-percent rise registered in the first half and 7.2-percent increase for January-May period.

In July alone, railway freight climbed 8.7 percent year on year to 337.12 million tons.

Rail, road, water, and air carried a total of 27.54 billion tons of cargo in the first seven months, up 6.8 percent year on year.

The data added to a series of indicators that showed resilience in the economy. The country's economy grew 6.8 percent in the first half, on track to achieve the government's annual target of around 6.5 percent for 2018.