"Little slow trains" in SW China help Yi people boost incomes

Local people of the Yi ethnic group are turning to the famous low-speed green trains that run from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, and Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, to boost their incomes.

With their longest routes covering 353 kilometers and 26 stops, the green trains - Train No. 5619/20 and Train No. 5633/4 - offer trips costing between 2 yuan (about 30 cents) and 25.5 yuan.

Local people of the Yi ethnic group use these "little slow trains” to bring their own crops, poultry and local products to sell in the county.

In order to make it easier for them to transport their poultry and livestock, the trains have thoughtfully added sections to luggage compartments where livestock can be tied. This separates the livestock from the passengers and makes the general environment in the compartments more hygienic and tidy.

In addition, some of the seats in Compartments 5 to 11 of the trains have been removed and transformed into large luggage carriages, and protective bars have been installed on the windows according to the seats, making it much easier for local people to load goods and for them to get on and off the train.