BEIJING -?China's railways carried a record 8.928 million passengers throughout the country on October 1, the country's National Day, the Ministry of Railways (MOR) said Sunday.

Railway passengers soared 7.7 percent Saturday from the previous National Day, the MOR said.

A surge in both long- and short-distance travelers contributed to the heavy traffic, according to the ministry.

A total of 310 temporary trains were put into service Saturday, the first day of the country's week-long holiday, the ministry said.

Train stations in major cities such as Taiyuan, Wuhan, Jinan, Guangzhou and Urumqi handled 20 percent more passengers Saturday than the same time last year.

Traveling by railway is the primary transportation mode for Chinese travelers. The sector has the difficult task of catering to massive increases in travelers during the country's two week-long holidays, namely the Spring Festival and National Day.