BEIJING -- China's railways transported 1.75 billion passengers from January to November, up 4.6 percent from the same period last year, according to latest statistics from the Ministry of Railways.

In the January-November period, the railways transported 3.56 billion tons of freights, the MOR said on its website.

The railways transported 2.06 billion tons of coal in the first eleven months, according to the MOR.

They handled 126.13 million tons of oil in the first eleven months, up 2 percent from the same period last year. Also, they dealt with about 93.61 million tons of grains, up 5.4 percent year-on-year.

China has been investing heavily on railways, especially high-speed railways.

It is aiming to create a high-speed railway network featuring four east-west lines and four north-south lines by the end of 2015, under a five-year transport plan approved by the State Council, or the cabinet.