The China-Laos Railway connects Kunming, China, and Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Since the entire line was completed and opened to traffic on December 3, 2021, the China-Laos Railway has transported more than 9 million passengers. The smooth operation of the China-Laos Railway is inseparable from the railway builders who are running on the front line. Now let's get to know a pair of father and son soldiers on the China-Laos Railway.

Father and Son Soldiers on the China-Laos Railway

Chen Shiwen and Chen Xiangfu from China Railway Kunming Bureau Group Co., Ltd. are a pair of father and son soldiers on the China-Laos Railway. His father, Chen Shiwen, is a catenary worker with 30 years of work experience, and his son, Chen Xiangfu, is a signal worker. When Chen Xiangfu was a child, he heard his father tell many stories about the railway. In his heart, he planted his own railway dream early.

Chen Xiangfu, the signal worker of the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway, when I was a child, the window where we lived happened to be able to see the railway. Often, if I want to eat, I won’t eat at the dining table, I have to run to the window sill, and I will only eat when I see the train.

In May 2022, Chen Shiwen came to the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway to participate in the maintenance of the China-Laos Railway. In August, his son Chen Xiangfu also came to the project, which made the father and son, who hadn't seen each other for a year because of work, become comrades-in-arms fighting side by side.

Chen Xiangfu, a signal worker of the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway, posted the news in the work group at the time, and gave everyone 20 minutes to think about it, so I immediately called to sign up. At that time, I didn't think much about it. After I signed up, I thought that I could meet my father in Laos later. I had this opportunity, but I didn't expect it to be me.

On November 2, 2022, the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway ushered in the first centralized renovation of equipment. Taking advantage of the 4-month window period of the dry season in Laos, the equipment along the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway that has experienced the flood season will be fully and intensively renovated to ensure the quality of the equipment Keep in good condition to provide guarantee for the safety of passenger and cargo transportation. It was this time that large-scale equipment was intensively maintained, and his son Chen Xiangfu was transferred to the maintenance work area where his father was. The father and son fought side by side in the front line of equipment maintenance work on the China-Laos Railway.

Chen Shiwen, a catenary worker of the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway, if our planned skylight is in a section or a station that day, we will meet my son, and I will remind him to pay attention to safety, and then be more careful, and at the same time, we must pay more attention to the elderly. Ask the master for advice.

Chen Xiangfu, the signal worker of the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway, and his father often reminded me of safety. I think it is still very important, whether it is for myself, for the railway, or for people's property. During the days when they were stationed together at the Meng Sai comprehensive maintenance work area of the China-Laos Railway, after work, the father and son finally had time to accompany each other day and night, playing ball together, chatting, cutting each other's hair, and enjoying the intimate time that they had never felt for many years.

Chen Xiangfu, the signal worker of the Laos section of the China-Laos Railway, because my father and I have never been able to stay together for such a long time as in Laos since we were young. In the past, there were five or six days a month, at most it was like this. It has been almost two months since I came to Laos and came to the Muang Sai work area to support. Being with my father is also a rare thing. Editor/He Yuting