NORTHWEST China's Ningxia Autonomous Region posted a year-on-year 3.8 per cent decline or 1.37 million tonnes in railway freight volume to 35.29 million tonnes in the first nine months, reports Xinhua.

Coal movement fell 3.6 per cent to 27.17 million tonnes in the period, while steel increased three per cent to 915,000 tonnes, grain grew 24.2 per cent to 419,000 tonnes and chemicals was up 21.3 per cent to 795,000 tonnes.

The national rail transport freight volume went up only 1.3 per cent to 3.76 million tonnes in September.