The national railway network witnessed an increase in passenger traffic in July, with over 423 million passenger trips recorded, national railway operator China State Railway Group said on Thursday.

The number of passengers increased by 4 percent year-on-year. Average daily passenger trips reached 13.6 million, with the network operating smoothly and safely, the company said.

It has implemented measures to ensure the smooth flow of passengers during the busy summer season, such as increasing capacity and enhancing ticketing services.

The railway department has optimized the third-quarter schedule, including operating the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway at 350 kilometers per hour, and utilizing additional resources from newly opened lines.

With an average of 10,636 passenger trains operating daily nationwide, measures such as adding temporary trains, coupling multiple high-speed trains, and attaching extra cars to regular-speed passenger trains have helped meet demand.

Several railway lines have debuted during the summer travel season.

Among them, the final leg of the high-speed railway linking Rizhao in Shandong province and Lankao in Henan provinces opened on July 18, reducing travel time to 2 hours and 26 minutes, and adding another major line linking Central and East China.

Despite challenges posed by extreme weather during the summer, the railway sector has maintained a high level of safety by implementing measures including the monitoring of key infrastructure and equipment, timely activation of emergency plans and adjustments to schedules in response to heavy rain and strong winds, including temporary halts, speed restrictions and rerouting trains.

According to earlier estimates, the country's railway network is expected to handle 860 million passenger trips during the two-month summer travel rush, which will end on Aug 31.