NORTH China's Ningxia recorded a 12.9 per cent growth in rail freight volume to 12.56 million tonnes in the first quarter, hitting a new high since last two years, reports Xinhua.

The cargo includes 9.7 million tonnes of coal, 726,000 tonnes of oil, 316,000 tonnes of steel, 40,000 tonnes of non-metal ore, 156,000 tonnes of grain, 485,000 tonnes of chemical fertiliser, 196,000 tonnes of chemical products and 433,000 tonnes of container cargo which was up 46.7 per cent.

The region's 40 key enterprises anticipating rail transport carried 11.81 million tonnes of cargo, growing 56.2 per cent year on year.