BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China saw an all-time high of 119,072 freight cars loaded on May 5, breaking the previous record of 118,761 set on Jan. 1 this year, said sources with the Ministry of Railways on Monday.

    The daily number of loaded freight cars is an important index to the efficiency and economic benefits of railway freight transport, said an official with the ministry.

    In the first five days of this month, 35.38 million tons of cargo was transported by rail in China, up 7.3 percent from the same period of last year.

    On May 1, China's railways carried 5.16 million passengers, the highest daily figure for a May Day holiday since the Chinese government launched Golden Week holidays in 1999.

    The ministry attributed the new highs to the latest round of "speed boosts" on many Chinese railways. Railway officials have said the increased speed limit will increase the national railway passenger capacity by 18 percent and cargo capacity by 12 percent.