BEIJING -- China's railways carried a record 156 million passengers during the 40-day Spring Festival travel peak that ran from February3 to March 14, said the Ministry of Railways.

The railway system transported 7 million more passengers than it did during last year's Spring Festival, said Wang Yongping, spokesman for the ministry.

The country's railways carried a record number of passengers, 4.9 million, on February 24, the last day of the Spring Festival holiday week, figures from the ministry show.

The huge number of travelers forced the ministry to add 22,321 provisional trains during the 40-day festival period, also a record number, said Wang.

Along with carrying people, an average of 112,560 cargo cars were loaded every day, 12,200 more than a year earlier.

This year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, fell on February18.