BEIJING - China's Ministry of Railways predicted on Saturday that the country's railways will transport 372 million passengers during the summer travel season this year.

The number of rail passenger trips during this summer's travel season, which starts on July 1 and lasts until August 31, is expected to be 21.65 million more than that of the equivalent period in 2011, according to a statement posted on the ministry's website.

It is estimated that the average daily passenger flow will reach 6 million, up 6.2 percent from a year earlier, the statement said.

To ease transportation pressure, the ministry has added 54 pairs of temporary passenger trains nationwide for the period.