BEIJING, Feb. 5 -- The No 5082 train rolls out of Ningbo station in Zhejiang. The thousands of people bound for Fuyang in Anhui heave a long sigh of relief. They have suffered the cold and snow for days waiting to return home for Spring Festival. Now they can look forward to the warmth of home and family.
Not so for transport police Zhang Haibin. His work has just begun.
Zhang's job is to patrol the train non-stop to ensure the migrant workers' "blood-and-sweat money" is not stolen.
At times, Zhang has caught thieves in the act. But more often than not he investigates cases and digs out the suspects before the train reaches its destination.
An investigation can continue off the train, too. When witnesses are not willing to disclose information on the train, Zhang visits them at home for clues and evidence.
His cell phone has a list of the photographs and personal details of all the thieves he has caught. That helps him to identify one if he sees him again on his train.
But visit his office and the photograph you see on his desk is that of a 12-year-old boy. That's his son. The photograph makes up for the long number of days and nights he is forced to stay away from him because of the call of duty.
Work for him is very exhausting. Patrolling the crowded No 5082 train means squeezing through a sea of people and avoiding stepping over their luggage.
His train has been more crowded this year because snowstorms have forced the closure of many roads and airports before the most important holiday. So he is covered in sweat just walking from one end of the train to another, even though the diesel-powered locomotive does not have a heating system.
Zhang and his colleague have to cover the train's entire length 16 times during the 12-hour journey, which means walking about 14 km during the six-hour shift.
Apart from maintaining order and security, Zhang's responsibility also includes looking for wanted criminals and fugitives who hope to take advantage of the crowd of hundreds of millions to give the law the slip.
Zhang carries a hand-held computer that has a list of the wanted. He has to keep his eyes and ears open even while eating, which he does if he can steal some time for himself on the train. Else, he goes without food.
The passengers have had their bites, though. Some are asleep, some dozing, while others seem too excited to do anything because their destination seems to be nearing.
Indeed, it is. The train is slowing down. It pulls into Fuyang station. There's another rush among the passengers, this time to get down.
Zhang prepares to check the empty train. He has to be extra careful, especially because this house on wheels will be his home for the holidays.
(Source: China Daily)
