Young maintenance worker checks bullet trains for Spring Festival travel rush

A maintenance worker checks a bullet train at a maintenance base in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province. (People’s Daily Online/Zhou Kun)

A young maintenance worker has recently been taking part in the maintenance of bullet trains for this year’s Spring Festival travel rush, which runs from Jan. 7 to Feb. 15, in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province.

Zhang Xu, born after 2000, usually checks bullet trains at night at a maintenance base in Hefei. He checks an average of six bullet trains and over 10,000 of the trains’ spare parts, walking more than 20,000 steps every night.

“I feel that I have greater responsibilities during the Spring Festival travel rush. Despite my heavy workload, I am relaxed whenever I see a bullet train depart the maintenance base,” Zhang said.

“I will do my utmost to fulfil my duty and ensure the safety of every bullet train so that passengers can travel safely,” Zhang said.

There are 16 maintenance workers born after 2000, including Zhang, at the maintenance base.

During this year’s Spring Festival travel rush, a total of 60 million train trips are expected to be made in the Yangtze River Delta region, with a daily average of 1.5 million trips.