BEIJING -- A record number of passengers traveled via railways during the New Year holiday, the Ministry of Railways said Saturday.

From Monday to Thursday, some 22.55 million passengers traveled around the country by train, up by 3.05 million, or 15.7 percent, from the same period last year, the ministry said in a statement.

On Thursday alone, 6.11 million people were transported via railways, surging 22.2 percent from Jan 3, 2012, as people returned to work, creating a new daily record, the statement said.

Middle- and short-distance travelers accounted for most of the travelers during three-day holiday from Tuesday to Thursday.

High-speed railways, including the new Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway, saw heavy traffic during the holiday, the ministry said.

The 2,298-km Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway, the world's longest, opened on Dec 26, cutting travel time between the cities from more than 20 hours to about 8 hours.