Looking after road to Tibet

Every night around midnight, Yu Benfan hears the long whistle of a passenger train from Lhasa as it whooshes through Wangkun station, comforting him and his fellow workers.

February 6, 2019

Life on the line: Veteran train driver's career from steam to bullet trains

A handful of train drivers still in the business have sat in the cab of many of these trains over the decades. In a career that has lasted 31 years with no terminus yet called, Xue Jun has acquired six different licenses necessary to drive each new type of train.

October 11, 2017

A life on the rails: Xue Jun

Since he began working on China's rail network in 1985, Xue Jun has earned seven train driver's licenses. Over the past 30 years, Xue has driven trains powered by steam, diesel and electricity, including diesel multiple units and bullet trains, and witnessed speeds rise from 60 kilometers an hour to 350.

December 5, 2018