BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's railway freight volume, an indicator of broad economic activity, expanded at a steady pace in the first eight months of the year.

Railways carried a total of 2.63 billion tonnes of cargo during the January-August period, up 7.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

The growth slowed from the 7.9-percent rise registered in the first seven months of the year.

In August alone, railway freight climbed 6.7 percent year on year to 337 million tonnes.

The data added to a series of indicators that showed resilience in the economy. The country's economy recorded strong growth of 6.8 percent in H1, on track to achieve the government's annual target of around 6.5 percent for 2018.