China's railway system handled 2.8 billion passenger trips in the first seven months this year, up 4.1 percent year on year and marking a record high for the period, China Railway said on Saturday.

The growing passenger trips were driven by increased transport capacity with ever increased high-speed railway networks, and new route sections and stations on lines that connect central China's Shiyan City and northwestern city of Xi'an as well as Lanxi and Jiande in the eastern Zhejiang Province going into operation.

From January to July, China's railways operated an average of 11,462 passenger trains daily, an increase of 571 trains or 5.2 percent yearonyear.

Booming inbound tourism also contributed to the increased travels. From January to July, the country's railways handled nearly 15 million passenger trips by foreign visitors, up 32.5 percent year on year.