"Right light in the front. Correct," lifting two fingers and pointing it to the front, Guo Xuefei has done this over four million times, but he’s still trying to execute every gesture and order in perfect form, because for him, being in the operation room and driving this train means great, great responsibility.

"There’s a proverb that the brake of the driver weighs thousands of kilograms. Because the safety of passengers and goods are mostly controlled by me. There is considerable responsibility and pressure," Guo said.

In over two decades of operating trains, Guo Xuefei has run over 1.5 million kilometers, that’s roughly 39 times the circumference of the Earth at the equator. And, he’s done it all with a spotless record.

Guo said locomotives are no longer just machines, but more like babies that require great care and patience. "If you treat the train well, in return it’s going to treat you well. That's why I’m always very gentle with the parts of the train. This helps in reducing breakdowns of the machine." 

What makes him outstanding above other drivers is that he also understands the intricate details of trains. With over 20 years of continuous studies and research, he has solved many thorny issues and has obtained over 10 patents.

"In 2014 during the rainy season, the train would sometimes halt halfway due to the wheel slipping. With experience and expertise, I summarized a mechanism to prevent this from happening. And it was very helpful after introducing it to other drivers," said Master Guo, a name that his thousands of colleagues use to call him. 

His apprentice Wang Yongming told CGTN that Guo is like their life-line, always the person to turn to whenever they have a problem with trains. "Yes, we call him Master Guo, because his professional skills are outstanding, so he can really be called master. This is also a respectful name, because he’s also willing to help people, especially inexperienced drivers," Wang explained.

One of China’s biggest achievements over the past five years has been its rail network and infrastructure development. Not only has the nation built the world’s longest high speed rail network, but it’s done it with its own technology and production. Guo Xuefei says he feels fortunate in witnessing the dramatic changes taking place in the rail sector over the past years.

"There has been explosive development in rail technology, and even though I don't operate bullet trains, the traits of electric trains that I drive are getting more advanced, and China’s own intellectual property takes on an increasingly larger role," Guo said proudly.

Born and raised in a farming family, he went all the way to become one of China’s best train drivers, and now a CPC delegate at the National Congress. Ouyang Jiping, Secretary at Party Branch of the first workshop at Xiang Tang rail said that Guo’s experience has inspired many young drivers, especially those that also come from grassroots families. “His story has a big impact among young drivers especially those from ordinary families. Every year during the orientation, we ask Guo Xuefei to lecture the newcomers, to help them set goals and plans for life," Ouyang said.  

Other CPC delegates like Guo Xuefei see themselves as ordinary people doing ordinary work. But their efforts never go to waste, helping improve the sectors they represent. For Guo, nothing is more rewarding than getting goods and passengers to their destinations safely and quickly. To meet this high standard, he makes sure that he's always prepared.