(Yicai Global) Feb. 21 -- China Railway Express has posted a 1.5 percent annual gain in the volume of goods transported so far this year despite the coronavirus outbreak weighing down on most businesses.

The firm transported 83,000 twenty-foot equivalent units across borders this year through Feb. 19, The Paper reported. The total mass of goods entering and exiting China via rail during the same period was nearly 8.7 million tons, up 8.1 percent, according to the report.

China State Railway has equipped Chinese and foreign rail workers at ports with masks and disinfectants and has been regularly cleaning freight transfer points, said Ma Hongying, head of the firm's international department. It has also provided vehicles and loading and unloading equipment and additional labor.

CSR has increased efficiency of inspections and clearance by remaining in constant contact with foreign rail authorities and freight forwarders and coordinating with customs and border checkpoints, the report said. The firm also contacted all CR Express operators and corporate clients to make storage and shipping arrangements and ensure the timely transfer of goods from rail to sea and airports, and organized rail carriers to prioritize CR Express.