Spring Festival Travel Rush: High-speed test train workers help ensure passenger safety

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As China's high-speed railways continue to expand, millions of passengers are traveling to their destinations more quickly. While enjoying the speed and comfort, few of them might be aware of the "unsung heroes" who help to ensure their safety during the Spring Festival travel rush. Zheng Chunying has the story.

For 43-year-old Wang Yongji, a typical day at work starts at half past four in the morning. His job is to the check safety conditions along the high-speed railway. Every day, a test train runs before the first passenger train departs from the station. Wang is one of the only five staff members on this test train leaving Zhengzhou on the Beijing-Guangzhou line.

WANG YONGJI RAILWAY WORKER "A high speed train runs at nearly 85 meters per second. In the blink of an eye, the train has already advanced more than a hundred meters. What we observe changes at every moment."

In the three years since Wang started this job, he has covered more than nine-hundred-thousand kilometers. That's equal to circling the earth more than 22 times. Through the front window, Wang monitors the surroundings to ensure it's free of obstacles and potential dangers. It requires both mental and physical strength to stay highly-focused for long hours in the dark.

WANG YONGJI RAILWAY WORKER "Although the speed of the train is very fast, I make what I see slow down in my mind like a montage of images. It's actually very tiring work. I have to observe the condition of the railway from several directions very carefully. What I see will inscribe on my mind and I don't dare even blink."

China has the world's longest high-speed railway network. Last year, there were 1.7 billion journeys. For Wang Yongji, the Spring Festival travel rush is the busiest time of the year. Millions of people are returning to their hometowns for family reunions. Someone has to keep them safe on their journey. And Wang is proud to do so. Zheng Chunying, CGTN.