Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Fan Qiongyan, Guo Ling) news: At 9:15 a.m. BJT on August 27, 2023, at the shunting yard of Urumqi West Railway Station in Urumqi City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Guo Lei, who had just taken over the shift, and his colleagues in their work clothes put on protective equipment. They arrived early next to the track where the shunting operation was to be carried out, waiting for the shunting machine. At 9:50 a.m. BJT, they arrived at the China-Europe freight train assembly center in Urumqi International Land Port Area, where two China-Europe freight trains were waiting for shunting operations that day.

Photo shows Guo Lei conducts the organization of China-Europe freight trains at the China-Europe freight train assembly center in Urumqi International Land Port Area, Urumqi City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Cheng Shasha)

Guo Lei is a linking staff of the Urumqi West Station Operation Workshop of China Railway Urumqi Bureau Group Co., Ltd. After graduating from Xinjiang Railway Vocational and Technical College in 2012, he came to Urumqi West Station to work as a linking staff. His job duties include coupling and decoupling trains, opening couplers, and ensuring safety, making it one of the most frontline and demanding jobs in the railway system.

“When I first started working, we would occasionally encounter a few trains destined for foreign countries, and the instructors would ask them to be more careful and double-check their work." Guo Lei told reporters that after their decoupling operations, the scattered cargo from these trains would eventually be consolidated at Alashankou Railway Station.

In March 2014, the Xinjiang-Central Asia (Urumqi-Almaty) international freight train was opened, and Xinjiang officially joined the ranks of operating China-Europe freight trains after Chongqing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, and Xi'an in China.

In 2016, the Urumqi assembly center for China-Europe freight trains was built next to the shunting yard where Guo Lei worked. He and his colleagues were increasingly involved in shunting operations for the China-Europe freight trains, and the number of trains bound for foreign countries increased. The China-Europe freight trains, roaring by one after another, were all composed of trains coupled together by linking staff like Guo Lei. Regardless of windy or rainy weather, scorching sun or freezing snow, their hardworking figures can always be seen.

“The number of coupled trains keeps increasing. Previously, we would couple three to five trains per coupler, but now for the China-Europe freight trains, we do the entire train in one operation. Each coupler can handle up to around 50 carriages,” Guo Lei said, noting that it is also common to have two China-Europe freight trains arrive simultaneously.

In his 11 years of work, Guo Lei has witnessed the process of the China-Europe freight trains growing from scratch since the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative. He has also continuously grown and made progress in his job.

On that day, after aligning the 5 arriving trains with the designated positions, Guo Lei picked up heavy anti-skid iron shoes weighing several kilograms. He crouched down and precisely placed them on the wheel treads of the steel rails to prevent the train from slipping. Then, he briskly walked to the auxiliary brake cylinder of the train, keeping his legs straight and crouching at his waist. He pulled out the connecting rod to release the brake air, completing the entire set of actions in one go.

“The China-Europe freight trains we deal with are about to travel to faraway places, crossing many countries and regions. We can’t afford to make any mistakes,” Guo Lei takes pride in being involved in the operation of the China-Europe freight trains and has set strict goals for himself.

He works hard to learn new skills and constantly improve his professional abilities. Every year, he participates in the railway system’s skill competition and strives for good results. Guo Lei said, “I must keep going and can’t fall behind!”

As of July this year, more than 7,100 China-Europe freight trains have departed from the Urumqi International Land Port Area. After Guo Lei and his colleagues perform the cargo decoupling operations for over 200 categories of goods, including daily necessities, clothing products, machinery equipment, plumbing materials, and electronic accessories, the trains continued their journey to Central Asia and Europe.

This year, Guo Lei successfully passed the assessment for the position of senior shunting officer, started learning more advanced skills and management abilities under the guidance of his instructor. He is now responsible for coordinating cross-operation scheduling and group management, handling more complex issues, and coordinating more resources to ensure the safety of his team members.

“The burden on my shoulders is getting heavier, and the responsibilities I bear are also growing,” Guo Lei said. He will make every effort to study diligently and strive to become a qualified senior shunting officer as soon as possible, continuing to grow alongside the China-Europe freight trains.

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