BEIJING - A total of 606.48 million people traveled via China's railways during the first four months of 2012, a year-on-year increase of 2.8 percent, the Ministry of Railways said on Sunday.

Passenger numbers increased the most in April due to rising travel demand during the Qingming Festival (April 2 to 4) and Labor Day holiday (April 28 to May 1), the ministry said.

The number of passengers traveling on trains rose 8.6 percent year-on-year in April, 7.4 percentage points higher than the growth registered in the first quarter, the ministry said.

Railways carried 1.33 billion tons of cargo in the first four months, up 3.8 percent from the previous year, the ministry added.

The ministry said it has increased support for the transport of important production materials and living necessities such as coal, grain, oil and chemical fertilizer.

The railways carried 785.34 million tons of coal, up 6.6 percent year-on-year in the first four months, while the transport of grain increased 15 percent to 35.96 million tons during the period, the ministry said.