As the Chinese land is immersed in the joyous celebration of family reunions lit up by countless lights, as the firecrackers of New Year’s Eve ring out and the aroma of the reunion dinner fills countless homes, there is a group of railway workers who stand guard along the vast, sprawling railway lines, silently watching the trains speed past.

They are 228 employees from the 15 project departments of Wuhan Jinhuasheng Railway Locomotive Co., Ltd. From the bitterly cold heartland of northern Shaanxi to the bustling transportation hubs of North China, East China, and Central China; from the frigid depths where temperatures plunge below ten degrees Celsius to the starry skies of foreign lands overseas—through it all, they’ve shouldered their responsibilities with unwavering determination, ensuring the smooth and uninterrupted flow of this vital energy artery.

The “Ice and Fire” of the Shaanbei Plateau: A Steadfast Vigil in Temperatures Below Ten Degrees Celsius

During the Spring Festival in northern Shaanxi, the wind feels like it’s cutting through skin, and temperatures plummet to well below ten degrees Celsius. At the three project sites—Juti, Shiyao Dian No. 1, and Shiyao Dian No. 2—staff members on duty braved the harsh winds and heavy snowfall, managing to maintain safe driving records with zero accidents throughout the Spring Festival period.

At the Juti Project Department, project manager Ji Xiaolei returned to work just a few days after finishing his wedding. When his colleagues asked why he hadn't taken his full wedding leave, he replied that during the Spring Festival, there was a lot of work and few people around, so he felt uneasy staying at home.

At the Shiyao Store No. 1, one of the employees’ most important tasks is to “warm up” the locomotives. In extremely cold weather, if a locomotive is left idle without proper insulation, its oil lines can freeze and its braking system can fail, thereby disrupting the next day’s transportation operations. The staff on duty have increased the frequency of their patrols, regularly start the locomotives for preheating, and even touch icy components with their bare hands to check the condition of oil lines and water pipes—all in order to ensure that each locomotive’s “heart” keeps beating steadily and its “blood vessels” remain unobstructed.

Throughout the Spring Festival period, the Juti Project Department completed loading 13 train cars; the Shiyaodian Second Department loaded 6 train cars, performed 58 shunting operations, and accumulated a total of 92 hours of operational work. While most people were gathered warmly at home, watching the New Year’s Eve countdown, the employees here were virtually on round-the-clock rotation along the railway lines—shunters crawling in and out in the cold wind, couplers hanging from car ladders to complete one shunting hook after another, and switch operators trudging through deep snow between points. It was precisely this almost obsessive dedication that enabled the three project departments to achieve “zero accidents” in train operations during this Spring Festival.

From North China to East China: The “New Year’s Eve Keepers” Along the Energy Pipeline

At every project site of Jinsheng, the staff on duty are the “guardians of the year” who quietly stay on watch throughout the New Year’s Eve.

In North China, the petrochemical project team’s transportation tasks remain undiminished during the Spring Festival. Employees pay close attention to every detail of train reception and dispatch as well as shunting operations—from confirming routes to opening signals, from equipment inspections to identifying potential hazards—every step is rigorously monitored and controlled. From early morning until late at night, whether it’s scheduling, routine inspections, or maintenance work—they use their footsteps and keen eyesight to build a dynamic safety barrier for energy transportation.

Thousands of miles away, the on-duty teams at Liangshan Port and the Wugang Logistics Project Department were equally busy. During the seven-day holiday, the Liangshan Port project team handled a total of 117 train operations—61 inbound trains and 56 outbound trains—processing a combined total of 8,906 railcars. Employees bent low to inspect track geometry and ensure tight fitting of switches, as well as to clear debris from drainage ditches—all in an effort to guarantee the safe and efficient transportation of goods. Meanwhile, the on-duty personnel at Wugang Logistics remained firmly rooted at their work sites, closely monitoring every detail of locomotive maintenance and train inspection operations. During the Spring Festival, they completed shunting operations involving 697 loaded railcars and 1,530 empty railcars, promptly addressing equipment malfunctions and contributing through practical actions to the stability and smooth flow of the industrial and supply chains.

Shangrao Power Plant’s Innovation and Responsibility: A “Spring Festival Report Card” of Staff Reduction and Efficiency Enhancement

At the Shangrao Power Plant Project Office, the 23 on-duty employees not only ensured safety and smooth operations but also delivered an innovative “reducing staff while boosting efficiency” performance report for the Spring Festival.

Within a week, they smoothly handled the arrival and departure of 44 train sets, operated 1,630 vehicles, and completed 55 batches of shunting operations involving 201 hooks. They rigorously adhered to standardized procedures for train reception and dispatch, intensified operational controls during nighttime hours, and achieved zero-risk operation. They also carried out meticulous daily maintenance on diesel locomotives, with particular emphasis on inspecting critical components such as the diesel engine, braking system, and running gear, and adjusted the brake shoe clearance at four locations. At the same time, they thoroughly checked for potential hazards in track lines and signaling equipment, addressing issues such as inadequate tightness of turnout points.

In response to the company’s call for workforce reduction and efficiency enhancement, the project team has introduced a “one post, multiple roles” model—while ensuring safety—that combines the duties of shunting supervisor with those of assistant driver. Additionally, based on the actual operational conditions at the power plant, we have refined and strengthened our safety control measures. Daily closed-loop management—including pre-shift risk anticipation, real-time monitoring during shifts, and post-shift review and analysis—enables us to promptly identify and rectify potential hazards. This innovative approach has not only optimized personnel allocation but has also successfully reduced the need for three externally hired assistant drivers, resulting in an estimated monthly reduction in labor costs of approximately 21,000 yuan.

“China’s Commitment” That Transcends Mountains and Seas: Celebrating the Lunar New Year Along the Belt and Road

Employees of Jinhuasheng, stationed at the mining project site in Liberia, West Africa, are celebrating another Spring Festival far from home. They are at the forefront of the Belt and Road Initiative and continue to work tirelessly on the transportation front even during the holiday period.

From the first to the third day of the first lunar month, a total of 7,620 tons of goods were transported over the three-day period. They brought China’s railway standards and specifications, as well as the dedication and perseverance of Jinhua Sheng people, to foreign lands thousands of miles away, writing the responsibility and commitment of China’s private railway enterprises on the grand canvas of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Epilogue: 228 steadfast commitments, all driven by the same original aspiration.

228 employees, 15 project teams, and countless days and nights.

They are the children who, in their parents’ eyes, were absent from the New Year’s Eve dinner; the fathers who, in their children’s hearts, missed hanging up Spring Festival couplets; the loved ones whose only source of reassurance—via video call—is now the pillow beside them. Yet along the railway tracks and by the locomotives, they share but one common title: “Guardians” of railway transportation.

There were no earth-shattering feats—only day after day of steadfast vigilance. It was precisely these 228 acts of unwavering dedication that withstood the cold waves in northern Shaanxi and ensured the smooth flow of energy; it was precisely these 228 original aspirations that illuminated the path ahead as the railway tracks stretched ever further. This Spring Festival, thanks to their perseverance, the railways are smoother, and families across the country feel more at ease.