Fuxing bullet train becomes 'school train' for students from mountainous areas in SE China's Fujian

Fuxing bullet train becomes 'school train' for students from mountainous areas in SE China's Fujian

Qingliu county, surrounded by forests, is located in Sanming city, southeast China's Fujian Province. Since the beginning of September, the county's railway station has been bustling with passengers.

A Fuxing bullet train leaves the Qingliu Railway Station in Qingliu county, Fujian Province. (Photo/Zhang Haigen)

On a Friday afternoon, the waiting area of the railway station was packed with students waiting for train C875, a Fuxing bullet train. They were heading home on the train. Huang Huasheng, one of the students, exclaimed with excitement, "The Fuxing bullet train has become our 'school train'."

The Fuxing bullet train travels between Fuzhou and Xiamen cities in the province, with a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.

Many towns and townships in Qingliu county do not have any middle schools or high schools. As a result, local students have to go to study at schools located in the county seat.

Trains over buses, saving time and money

Huang, a first-year middle school student, comes from Yangyuan village, located nearly 60 kilometers from the county seat. Huang travels to school on Sundays, resides on campus, and travels back home on Fridays. The journey from Huang's village to the school takes over an hour by car.

According to Huang, older students from the village used to take a minibus to school. However, since they operated without a fixed schedule, the students often had to wait for them, sometimes for up to half an hour.

He Yu, from the same village, is a third-year high school student. Having been commuting to schools in the county seat for the past five years, He welcomed the transportation improvements.

Qingliu county ended its history of having no railway connection on Sept. 30, 2021. The railway provides a direct connection between Yangyuan village and the county seat of Qingliu, offering a new transportation option for students from mountainous areas to commute to school.

According to He, his old journey involved walking, taking a minibus, and then a bus, totaling over two hours. Now, with walking, taking the train for about 27 minutes, and then the bus for 25 minutes, the total travel time is reduced to about one hour. The minibus ticket costs 17 yuan (about $2.39), while the train ticket costs only 11 yuan.

Every Sunday, over 300 students from the area take train K8752 to school, and every Friday, they return home on train C875.

Making the train work for students

Meticulous efforts have been made to ensure that the students can conveniently enjoy train services.

According to regulations, children under 14 cannot travel alone and child tickets cannot be purchased online separately. However, many of the students have parents working away from home, making solo travel a necessity.

"If the students can't travel alone, many will have to continue taking minibuses," said Yang Yuntao, head of Yangyuan railway station.

Yang brought up the issue with railway officials and quickly got a reply: for students taking the train to school, the railway company will assume some responsibility for their safety, allowing kids under 14 to travel unaccompanied.

And so, a partnership was formed among schools, the railway station, and trains.

The schools create a weekly travel list for students and share it with the station in a timely manner. The station sets up a "green passage" for students with travel needs, streamlining ticket purchases and coordinating boarding and disembarking procedures. The trains provide reading areas and some oversight from train staff.

Another challenge was setting the train's schedule so that it was a convenient option for students commuting to school.

Students walk out of the Yangyuan Railway Station in Qingliu county, Fujian Province. (Photo/Zhang Haigen)

"Since train C875 started running, we've been conducting continuous passenger surveys and assessing demand in towns and townships along the route," said Jiang Wenxiong, a member of the railway department offering passenger transport service in Fuzhou.

The train departs from Xiamen to Fuzhou every morning and immediately returns to Xiamen. After adjusting the departure times three times, the train now arrives at Qingliu railway station at 6:56 p.m., perfectly timed for students finishing school.

The third challenge was the connection between Qingliu railway station and the schools in Qingliu county. In response, Qingliu railway station collaborated with the transport development center of the county to establish several customized bus routes connecting the schools and the railway station, further offering convenience to the students.

A warmer journey

"Stationmaster!"

At Yangyuan Station, the moment the train stopped and doors opened, a 14-year-old rushed out, squeezed through the crowd, and ran towards Yang Yuntao. "Your father will be here in a few minutes, find a book to read," said Yang.

After school starts, every Friday, Yang becomes the children's "big parent."

"Mr. Stationmaster, my daughter's jacket is still in the waiting room, on the row against the wall, please help keep it safe until Sunday."

"Mr. Stationmaster, my motorcycle broke down, I will be late by half an hour, please let my child stay in the station to do homework."

Yang carefully combs through the information in the WeChat group, putting aside things that need to be collected and guiding children who need care to the reading corner. The reading corner is right outside the station master's office, neatly arranged with books such as "The Adventures of Pinocchio" and "The Book of Insects," offering pencils, erasers, rulers, and other stationery.

The students themselves also use the train to create a positive student community.

A "Seniors Talk" activity held on the C875 train is for students entering high school. Entering high school meant heavier studies and transitioning from commuting to boarding school. "In the carriage, everyone gathered around, seniors shared secrets of how to navigate the cafeteria and laundry tips, all very practical," said a student.

Yang Yulin liked chatting with the train conductor, Jiang Hongmei, about her worries, "Parents nagged me at the start of the term to study hard and not slack off, I'm feeling a lot of pressure."

"Everyone has different learning styles, as long as you can complete your plans on time and constantly challenge yourself, you're doing great," replied Jiang.

A train journey, connecting the railway station, school, and students, bringing everyone together through friendship and warmth.