BEIJING -- The Ministry of Railways said Friday that the country's railways transported a record number of passengers during the summer travel season, which lasted from July 1 to Aug 31.

More than 360 million trips were made on trains during the period, an increase of 11.8 percent year-on-year, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

On average, the nation's railways carried more than 5.81 million passengers every day.

The summer season travel peak arrived on July 9, a day on which a record 6.5 million people took trains, the statement said.

The ministry will make "full preparations" for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays in order to meet increased travel demands, the statement said.