*During the Spring Festival, a group of train mechanics were working around the clock in a bullet train workshop in Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to ensure the safety of each train.
*Since China adjusted its COVID-19 response, the number of bullet trains in operation in Xinjiang has increased to 36 to meet people's travel and tourism needs during the festival.
*Official statistics show that there are more than 7,400 employees from ethnic minority groups working in the railway system in Xinjiang.
URUMQI, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Amid the sound of firecrackers and drums during the Spring Festival, a group of train mechanics were working around the clock in a bullet train workshop in Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to ensure the safety of each train.
"The Spring Festival travel rush is the busiest period of the year. Our workload increases greatly during the period, but it is worthwhile to make sure that every passenger gets home safely," said Azigul Tuniyaz.
Azigul Tuniyaz, 42, is one of over 380 train mechanics at the Urumqi bullet train unit maintenance station. The team include 41 members from 10 ethnic minority groups.
A technician inspects a bullet train at the Urumqi bullet train unit maintenance station in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jan. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
Since China adjusted its COVID-19 response, the number of bullet trains in operation in Xinjiang has increased to 36 to meet people's travel and tourism needs during the festival. These mechanics work in rotation to keep the trains and the passengers they carry secure.
DREAM JOB
Born in a family of railway system practitioners in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Azigul Tuniyaz lived near the railway station and grew up listening to the trains whistle each and every day.
"I was very enthusiastic about train car parts, so my father encouraged me to further dive into the field," the Uygur woman said, adding that although railway transportation is not a suitable field for females in many people's eyes, she wanted to follow her heart.
Mechanic Azigul Tuniyaz examines an ultrasonic flaw detector at the Urumqi bullet train unit maintenance station in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jan. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
In 2001, Azigul Tuniyaz began to work in Xinjiang after graduation, responsible for troubleshooting issues on train cars and fixing them. She was trained and dispatched to be a bullet train mechanic 12 years later due to her excellent performance when the region started developing bullet train transportation.
During her shift, the woman, with delicate makeup and permed hair, was wearing a hardhat and a light grey uniform while devoting herself to train flaw detection, repairs and looking after power supply.
"The uniform reminds me to focus on my work. I need to be completely clear-headed, responsible, and careful, as any carelessness could result in serious consequences," said she, who was rewarded for discovering a major flaw a few years ago.
Today, Azigul Tuniyaz has grown to a veteran train mechanic, cultivating young workers for the station.
"This is an extraordinary post, and I have done some extraordinary things. My father takes great pride in my achievements," she said.
CHASING DREAM
Alim Yimin was once a shepherd boy on the Pamir Plateau. His hometown is more than 1,000 km away from Urumqi. However, the 36-year-old man of the Kirgiz ethnic minority has now become a senior bullet train mechanic.
"My father didn't want to send me to school. He wanted me to become a herdsman or run a repair shop. But I insisted on receiving an education," said Alim Yimin, adding that he could never forget the miserable memories of herding sheep and finding the herds in the storms, which motivated him to study hard and go to university.
In 2014, Alim Yimin graduated from Lanzhou Jiaotong University majoring in vehicle engineering and started his career at the bullet train unit maintenance station in Urumqi. He is in charge of checking the wheels of bullet trains and the power supply.
Mechanic Alim Yimin maintains a bullet train's wheel at the Urumqi bullet train unit maintenance station in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jan. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)
"I found the gap between me and my coworkers who work very hard. So I continue to learn from them and strive to be better," said Alim Yimin, who later became a senior mechanic and in the process, has obtained four operation certificates for low-voltage electrician, high-place operation, forklift driver and hoisting operator.
In general, it takes at least 18 months to train a bullet train mechanic and this involves large sums of money.
Official statistics show that there are more than 7,400 employees from ethnic minority groups working in the railway system in Xinjiang.
The railway operating mileage in Xinjiang has added 4,176 km since 2012, pushing the total mileage to over 9,091 km.
(Video reporters: Bai Zhiqiang, Guan Qiaoqiao, Ding Lei and Zhou Ye; Video editors: Hui Peipei, Zhou Sa'ang, Wang Houyuan, Wei Yin and Zhang Yuhong) ■
