China's railway transported 194.95 million tonnes of coal in December, up 11.7% or 20.45 million tonnes from a year earlier.

Deliveries of thermal coal finished 139.15 million tonnes, a year-on-year growth of 6.1% or 8.05 million tonnes.

In the whole of 2011, about 2.269 billion tonnes of coal were carried by rail, up 13.4% or 268 million tonnes compared with the same period of last year.

In addition, coal deliveries via Daqin railway totaled 440.17 million tonnes in 2011, 8.7% or 35.13 million tonnes more than the previous year. The Houyue railway transported 184.13 million tonnes of coal in the given period, increasing 3% or 5.39 million tonnes from a year ago.