On a spring morning, Tuanjie Village Central Station, located in Shapingba District, Chongqing City, has a busy scene with loud whistles and frequent trains. This is the departure station for China-Europe trains and the New Western Land-Sea Corridor trains. The locomotive drivers from the Chongqing Locomotive Depot of China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd. steadily delivered the first leg here.

55-year-old Jiang Tong is one of them. He also has another important identity-the starting driver of the China-Europe train.

On March 19, 2011, after layers of selection and assessment, Jiang Tong stood out from more than 70 drivers and drove my country's first China-Europe train "Yuxin Europe" from Chongqing Tuanjie Village Central Station.

"I was very excited that day. I drove the train from Chongqing. After arriving in Dazhou, Sichuan, I handed over the baton to the driver of the Xi'an Bureau. It drove out of the country from Alashankou, Xinjiang, and finally arrived in Duisburg, Germany." Jiang Tong said, The China-Europe freight train is like a relay race, and your task is to run the "first leg" well.

For more than ten years, Jiang Tong has witnessed the earth-shaking changes of China-Europe trains. From the initial operation of only one train per month to more than 10 trains every day; from the initial loading of a single IT product to now covering thousands of goods; from one-way outbound routes to more than 100 cities in Asia and Europe... Today, the China-Europe Railway Express (Chengdu-Chongqing) has stably operated more than 50 routes, reaching 110 cities in nearly 40 countries and regions.

"My biggest feeling is that the burden on my shoulders has become heavier and heavier over the years." Jiang Tong said.

2020 is Jiang Tong's busiest year - he took a total of 336 freight trains throughout the year, including 30 China-Europe trains, with goods sent to 8 European countries; he took 156 night shifts, with a mileage of nearly 70,000 kilometers. , equivalent to one and a half times around the Earth's equator. "No matter how difficult it is, we must persevere." Jiang Tong said that in the past, after a train arrived in Dazhou, Sichuan, it usually had to rest for more than 6 hours. But later, as soon as it arrived in Dazhou, it would often receive instructions to return to Chongqing and then drive a new train. hair.

The growth of age, changes in times and changes in train models made Jiang Tong feel that it was time to hand over the "baton" to young people. In recent years, while completing his duty duties, Jiang Tong has invested a lot of energy in "teaching and mentoring" and trained many apprentices.

The 28-year-old apprentice Ruan Wenyu, like Jiang Tong, became the driver of the China-Europe train and took over the first leg when the China-Europe train departed from Chongqing. "Master often tells me that this train must run well. If it is late, there will be delays later." Ruan Wenyu said that although he cannot drive the train to Europe, his work is related to the goods transported by the China-Europe train. Can I arrive in Europe on time?

Jiang Tong’s story attracts more and more young people to join the cause of serving the Belt and Road Initiative.

Hu Jianqiao, a 24-year-old station attendant in Tuanjie Village, Chongqing, chose to work here after hearing Jiang Tong’s story. "Master Jiang Tong's story inspires young people of our generation to create extraordinary achievements in ordinary positions." Hu Jianqiao said. In about half a year, Jiang Tong will retire. "My biggest wish is to concentrate on driving every bus and pass the baton to more young people so that they can continue to work hard for this great cause." Jiang Tong said.

Young drivers are taking over the baton from their predecessors and driving the steel camel team across the land of Central Europe.Editor/Zhao E