Team tracks potential hazards to the railway running

It was a normal day in April for Liu Chuanshuang and his colleagues who help ensure the safe and smooth flow of trains running along the Meihekou-Ji'an railway in Tonghua, Jilin province. At 8 am, the 13-member team gathered to replace a damaged guard timber on a railroad bridge. They had a tight time window to complete the task.

In little more than an hour, the team removed the old piece of timber and replaced it with a new one. After they left, a train passed over the bridge smoothly and without incident. "That is the moment when I feel proud of our work, which guarantees that every passenger gets home safely," Liu says.

After finishing lunch, wearing ropes and straps like mountaineers, Liu and the team inspected and removed rocks and trees, which may cause safety hazards for trains, from the slopes of the mountains through which the railway runs.

Built in 1939, the Meihekou-Ji'an railway snakes through the Changbai Mountain region, playing a vital role in the supply chain for key materials, such as grain and coal, in Northeast China — as well as carrying many passengers. The line is equipped for trains with a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour.

The maintenance team was established 33 years ago to ensure the section's 19 tunnels, 120 bridges and 387 culverts are kept in perfect condition. Currently comprised of 13 members, the team has been nicknamed the railway's guardians.

Since joining the team in 1996, Liu has learned how challenging it is to monitor and maintain the railroad facilities, most of which were built in the 1930s.

"These facilities, like an aging man, experience a decline in various functions, which need more care and maintenance," Liu, 49, says, adding that the maintenance work doesn't stop all year around.

"Our cellphones remain on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whenever there is an emergency call, we are ready to set off. This is our job and our families understand that," Liu says.

Every month, Liu's team monitors all the steel bridges and the key facilities along the railway. Every half a year, they conduct a comprehensive inspection of, and carry out maintenance on, every bridge, tunnel and culvert.

From late October to mid-April next year, when the winter temperatures can reach — 30 C in Jilin, their main work is to clean up the ice forming in tunnels and culverts. Their work window lasts from 8 pm to 5 am the next day.

"Icicles in tunnels and other structures can damage the fast-running trains," Liu explains.

Although machines are available to carry out some of the work, cleaning up the ice in some cement culverts is still done with manpower, because the diameter of some pipes is less than 1 meter, which is too small for a machine, even a big man, according to Liu.

In January, during a regular patrol, the team found a culvert that was blocked by ice. Carrying tools, such as electric pickaxes and generators, the team walked to the site, as there is no road, climbed into the pipe and cleaned up the ice in six hours.

After the freezing winter comes the flood prevention and control season, which lasts from May to October.

"As the days get warmer in spring, it is also time to clean up the silt and debris in the culverts," Liu says.

In the past, many of Liu's teammates suffered from herniated discs caused by the physically demanding job, but now things have been much better with the application of machines.

With 36 years' experience in the field, Gong Ruwen, 56, is proud of the job he does.

"I know it is grueling, and sometimes makes us doubt our choice, but seeing trains passing through the section under our maintenance is rewarding and makes me feel proud," says Gong.

The maintenance team's story has hit national headlines, and on March 2, the team was awarded the group title of Good Samaritans of Tonghua.