简体中文
China’s high-speed train network may be expanding rapidly, but slow trains continue to provide transport for villagers in several remote and poverty-stricken areas.
North China’s Shanxi Province has one such train. It’s one of the slowest left in China, but it is still a link that many villagers along the railway rely on.
The three-carriage No.8171 commutes between the city of Yuci and Qinxian County in Shanxi. The route covers 165 kilometers, with 22 stops. A one-way journey takes five hours.
This little train runs at 70 kilometers per hour, around one-third of the speed of high-speed trains now operating in China.
Fan Dongniu, 62, has been taking the No.8171 for decades.
Sitting on the train and talking with many other regular riders, he said, “I often take this train to visit my family members. But most importantly, I take it to bring these farm products to market for sale. These are millet, walnuts and fruit”.
Taking the slow train is cheap. Tickets cost a maximum of 12 yuan (1.9 US dollars). It’s the best choice for many poor villagers who need to travel to sell their goods.
The No.8171 train has one locomotive and three carriages.
The train stops every five to 10 kilometers to pick up villagers in the mountainous areas. For many of them, the train carries happy memories.
Hou Jinyun, another regular rider and also a friend of Fan, said, “We all have deep feelings for this train. We’ve known each other for many years. We often take the train together”.
“We always help each other with any difficulties. And the train crew have also helped us a lot”, Fan added.
Conductor Li Weijun has worked on the No.8171 for two decades. He’s now a friend of the regular riders.
“When they are busy with farming at home, I often help to bring their products to the train, and send them to the buyers who wait at other stops. It’s not easy for the villagers to make a living. I think I should help them”, he said.
The No.8171 route started in the 1990s. It was often crowded, as it was the only way for many villagers to travel. Now that many new highways have been built, the train generally carries a couple of hundred passengers a day.
Conductor Li said, “I’ve seen the changes through the years. The train has helped many villagers to have a better life. Although we have fewer passengers, I believe this small train can still help people in many ways. And my biggest wish is to better serve the passengers, and make them feel happy on the train”.
(CGTN)
