BEIJING -- China's railway network transported 1.004 billion tonnes of cargo in the third quarter of this year, marking a year-on-year increase of 3.8 percent and setting a new record for freight volume in a single quarter, official data showed Sunday.

China's railway industry has been improving its transportation services and efficiency to support the high-quality development of the economy, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

During this period, railways handled 520 million tonnes of coal, up 3.5 percent year on year.

The company said it will further speed up the development of a modern railway logistics network to facilitate domestic and international economic circulations, and reduce logistics costs.