The six men employed at Shamalada railway station. [Photo/CFP]

Rail workers spend Spring Festival in deep mountains

Yang Xiangbing started working at Shamalada Railway Station in 1998. This is the 18th year since he began working at the small station in the depth of Daliang mountains in Southwest China's Sichuan province. During the 18 years, Yang has spent only one Spring Festival with his family.

"When I joined the station, my son was just born. Now he is 18 years old," said the veteran rail worker.

At an altitude of nearly 2,500 meters, Shamalada station is 120 km away from Xichang, the capital of Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture.

Only one train stops every day at the remote station which stands on a steep valley where strong wind blows all the year. With only a simple platform and not many passengers, there are only six staff members in the small station. Among them, the oldest one has been working there for 28 years.

With roads far away from their home, nearby villagers take the train at Shamalada station to neighboring towns to go to fair or visit relatives. Sometimes, only handful of passengers board the train, but the service has run without any halt, even during the most important family reunion occasion of the year because most of the six staff workers at Shamalada Station will spend the Spring Festival at the station.