BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhua) -- China's total fixed-asset investment (FAI) in railways reached 141 billion yuan (about 22.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first four months, official data showed Friday.

The figure marks an 8.6-percent decrease year on year, according to the National Railway Administration (NRA).

It accounts for 19.2 percent of this year's FAI target, part of which will fund construction of 3,500-kilometers of high-speed railway lines.

During the Jan.-April period, China's railway sector saw over 1 billion passenger trips, up 7.8 percent year on year, NRA data showed.

Railway freight totaled 1.29 billion tonnes during the first four months, an increase of 6.1 percent over the same period last year.

China Railway Corporation, the national railway operator, took in 179 billion yuan in the first three months, up 5.7 percent year on year. Passenger transportation income stood out as the biggest contributor.