BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's railway passenger trips hit a new high during the January-August period thanks to robust travel demand, official data showed Thursday.

Nearly 3 billion passenger trips were made through the railway network during the first eight months of this year, up 14.5 percent from a year ago, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. said, noting that the railway system maintained safe and stable operations.

During the period, the railway operator ran an average of 10,730 trains per day, up 10.5 percent compared to a year earlier.

Cross-border railway services saw strong growth as well. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway recorded nearly 18 million passenger trips, up 46 percent year on year, while the China-Laos Railway handled 163,000 trips.

The surge in railway trips this year was fueled by a booming tourism market, particularly during major holidays such as the Spring Festival, May Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival.