China News Service, Mudanjiang, February 18th: Stick to the last shift of the "Public Welfare Slow Train"
Author Han Yong Zhang Lianyun
February 18th, the ninth day of the Lunar New Year. The "Snow City" Mudanjiang is still shrouded in a strong festive atmosphere, with eye-catching couplets everywhere and colorful lanterns hanging high. At 8:41, accompanied by a long sound of bagpipes, the 4066 passenger train from Mudanjiang to Tokyo City slowly departed from Mudanjiang Station against the backdrop of ice and snow. This is a "public welfare slow train" that stops at 5 stations and takes 1 hour and 9 minutes. The ticket price is only 10.9 yuan.
Fu Guanjie is responsible for the control of passenger train 4066. Photo by Zhang Lianyun
The person responsible for operating this train today is Fu Guanjie, a train driver from the first workshop of the Mudanjiang locomotive depot. He is known as "Fu Dacar" and has nearly 40 years of "driving experience". He will retire next month. This is the last Spring Festival in his working life.
During the Spring Festival holiday this year, Fu Guanjie has worked five consecutive shifts. This was something he applied for on his own initiative. He wanted to be on the "last shift." Adequate rest before work is the most critical factor to ensure the safety of a flight attendant. In order to ensure the working condition of the next day, he will have dinner early every night, then turn off his mobile phone, plug in earplugs, hide in his bedroom, and rest here. The sound of firecrackers enters the "waiting rest mode".
The Spring Festival holiday is over and the peak number of passengers returning has also ushered in. At 8 o'clock, Fu Guanjie and his classmate Shang Xianhao arrived at the Mudanjiang Station platform on time to take over. There are obviously more passengers taking the bus today, but everyone's face is filled with the joy of the New Year. Fu Guanjie reminded himself in his heart: The more important it is at this time, the more stringent safety must be tightened. After the train entered the station, they boarded the locomotive and began to inspect the succeeding locomotive nervously and orderly.
Before taking off, Fu Guanjie carefully inspected the motorcycle. Photo by Zhang Lianyun
At 8:41, Fu Guanjie steered this green "slow train" out of Mudanjiang Station, carrying full of nostalgia and a strong flavor of the New Year.
Along the way, firecrackers sounded from time to time, and the land of Longjiang covered with ice and snow was filled with joy, but Fu Guanjie had no time to enjoy the scenery along the way. He concentrated on controlling the train smoothly to ensure the comfort of passengers. Since there are far more passengers taking trains during the holidays than in the past, the two-minute parking time after each arrival at the station is far from meeting the needs of passengers. This "slow train" that stops at the station will be "eaten" every time it stops. Two or three minutes of running time. If the previous operation method is followed, the train will inevitably be delayed. Fu Guanjie is well aware of the importance of train safety and punctuality to passengers' travel experience at this juncture of the Spring Festival.
Fu Guanjie checks the working status of the locomotive engine. Photo by Zhang Lianyun
Fu Guanjie adjusted the locomotive's engine speed and the reasonable timing of each brake step in real time according to the ups and downs of the slope and the line conditions. At the same time, he reminded Shang Xianhao to concentrate, strengthen his lookout and whistle. The train traveled leisurely between the city and the countryside. Under their careful control and close cooperation, the train arrived at the station at just the right time and always arrived on time. From the rearview mirror of the motorcycle, Fu Guanjie saw the passengers getting on and off the train, all of them in high spirits and high spirits. He felt a sincere sense of pride and accomplishment in his heart.
At 10 o'clock sharp, the train arrived at the terminal station - Tokyo City Station on time. The passengers getting off the train gradually disappeared, and the noisy platform returned to tranquility. Fu Guanjie and Shang Xianhao smiled at each other and controlled the locomotive to complete the work of removing and replacing the ends. 40 minutes later, the number of the train was changed to passenger train 4065. Fu Guanjie sounded the bagpipe again and controlled the train to slowly drive out from Tokyo City Station, embarking on the return journey in the warm spring breeze... (End)