2021 Spring Festival Travel Rush: Green-skinned Train Brings Passengers Home

2021 Spring Festival Travel Rush: Green-skinned Train Brings Passengers Home

春运进行时：绿皮慢火车 载满爱回家

 

January 28 was the first day of the 2021 Spring Festival travel rush. With Some clear whistles, the passenger train #8324 (Xinyang-Gushi) pulled into the railway station, awakening Xinyang, a landscape city in Henan, from its sound sleep.

1月28日，2021年春运第一天。火车站内几声清脆的汽笛声，把山水小城信阳从沉睡中唤醒，“信阳—固始”8324次列车进站了。

 

Green-skinned train brings passengers home. [Photo by Li Ziyao/For Henan Daily]

"Excuse me, please wear your mask properly and cooperate in the temperature check at entrance." At 7:40 am, Lyu Bin, a station master on duty, arrived at the fare gate, together with CPC and CYL volunteers for the travel season.

“您好，请您佩戴好口罩，前方接受体温测量。”7点40分，值班站长吕斌带领春运期间车站增加的党团志愿者来到进站闸机旁。

 

"With the lowest fare and slow pace, the train linking Xinyang City with its subordinate counties is popular with elderly passengers, so we need pay more attention to it," said Lyu Bin.

“这趟慢火车连接信阳市和县区间票价最低的交通工具，老年旅客很多，是我们需要重点提供帮助的车次。”吕斌说。

 

Hearing the announcement that the train was about to depart, passengers Li Mei and her daughter hurried to the station looked more worried.

在列车即将发车的广播声提醒下，匆匆赶来的旅客李梅和女儿显得有些着急。

 

"No rush please. Take your temperature and check in via the 'face-swiping' system. Then, go through the security check and take a sip of water in your bottle if you have. What's more, alcohol-based disinfectants can not be taken on the train."

“别着急，还有时间，您先进行体温测量，刷脸进站，然后在前面进行安检，杯子里的水要先喝一口，随身携带的酒精消毒液也不能带上车。”

 

With the help of the staff, Li Mei and her daughter completed a series of inspections and finally got on the train home.

在工作人员的指引下，李梅经过一层又一层的检查，终于坐上了回家的列车。

 

"The platform used to be jam-packed with passengers, but now,  still plenty of seats available," said Li Mei happily.

“今年的人真少，往年站台上都挤满了人，现在空荡荡的。”李梅笑着说。

 

At 8:00 am sharp, the train #8324 was pulling out.

8点整，8324次列车出发了。

 

"I heard that the train linking Xinyang City to Gushi County is operated for public welfare, especially for us migrant workers from the old revolutionary base areas. Being low-priced and slow-paced, it stops at every station, and allows passengers to bring in a few of local specialties. We all affectionately call it 'a poverty alleviation train for Dabie Mountain area '." On the train, passengers should avoid sitting next to each other, but the two Gushi natives still talked happily with each other without being influenced.

“听说这趟慢火车是铁路部门专为俺们老区务工人员保留的公益惠民车，从信阳始发，终点站就是我们固始县，票价低、逢站停、速度慢，还能搭载土特产，俺们都亲切地称它为‘大别山脱贫致富幸福车’。”列车上，虽然都是隔着位子坐，但是一点不妨碍大家交流，两位固始籍老乡你一言我一语，聊得特别开心。

 

"The train has been thoroughly sterilized, and for everyone's safety, please sit apart and cooperate in the temperature check," said Fan Li, chief agent of Xinyang North Route of Wuhan Passenger Transport Section.

“我们已经对本趟列车进行了全面消毒，为了确保大家安全，请各位旅客朋友分散坐开，我们将再次为大家测量体温，请大家配合。”武汉客运段信阳北线车间主任干事樊丽说。

 

"I feel relieved to see that the train staff is working carefully and every passenger is cooperative." Li Mei, a native from Huangchuan County, with her daughter who studies at a middle school in Xinyang City, took on the train for visiting parents back to her hometown since the winter vacation has started without the need to travel out of Xinyang.

“看着工作人员检查这么认真，大家又这么配合，觉得特别安心。”李梅是信阳市潢川县人，女儿在市里上初中，眼瞅着孩子也放假了，考虑到回老家不出信阳，还是回去看看老人。

 

Zhou Yumei, who was sitting by her, is also from Huangchuan. "The station has implemented stringent epidemic prevention and control measures and the staff also gave us free disposable gloves to guarantee our safety. My kid was very happy and said many thanks to them," said Zhou Yumei.

邻座的周玉梅也是潢川人。“现在车站的疫情防控措施非常严格，刚才工作人员还为我们免费提供了一次性手套，又为我们的安全增添了一份保障，孩子特别开心，一个劲儿说谢谢小姐姐。”周玉梅说。

 

While they were talking, the train arrived at Huangchuan station. Following the conductor's instruction, passengers got off the train, had their temperature checked, health code scanned, ID number and contact information registered.

说话间，潢川县就到了，旅客按照列车员的指挥有序下车，并在出站口工作人员的协助下，扫健康码、测量体温，登记身份证号码、联系方式等信息。

 

"Thank you! You made us back home safely." Li Mei waved bye-bye to the staff and walked out of the station with her daughter.

“谢谢你们，有你们在，才有我们安全的回家路。”说着，李梅向工作人员热情地挥了挥手，领着女儿走出了车站。（中文来源/河南日报 翻译/赵汉青 审校/丁岚）