The No. 6245 green slow train in the Greater Khingan Mountains runs at a speed of just 45 kilometers per hour, taking 11 hours to complete its journey and offering the lowest ticket price of only 54 yuan. Connecting 29 stations along its route, it remains an essential means of transportation for local residents.
Lao Yu, a 57-year-old train conductor, has worked on this line for 31 years. He recalls that after 2020, the coal-heated green train was upgraded to an air-conditioned one. In the past, passengers were mainly forestry workers and locals selling mountain goods. Nowadays, the train is often packed with tourists from southern China and foreign backpackers. To adapt, Lao Yu, who speaks English, understands internet slang, and even acts as a tour guide, has gone to great lengths: learning English from his grandson, asking neighbors to help organize tourism materials, and even mastering internet slang like "YYDS" to better communicate with passengers. He carries a pocket English vocabulary notebook with phonetic annotations in Chinese. Lao Yu said, "Serving passengers used to rely on physical strength; now it relies on knowledge." Though older, he feels "younger than ever."
"A slow train is more than just transportation—it's a kind of sentiment," remarked Mr. Zhang, a tourist from Shanghai, who appreciated the rare leisure the train ride offered.
In August, the green train winds through the vast forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains. Dressed in a crisp uniform, Lao Yu introduces the scenic spots along the route in heavily accented English. Though the train rocks slightly, his back remains remarkably straight.
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