China News Service, Shenzhen, September 26. Title: Late-night "physical examination" on high-speed trains to protect passengers on their way home during the Mid-Autumn Festival
Authors Guo Jun Long Kunpeng Zou Songlin
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Shenzhen EMU, the largest in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, was brightly lit all night and was busy with operations. In order to ensure safe and smooth travel for passengers during the two festivals, nearly 35 EMU trains here undergo comprehensive maintenance and "physical examinations" every night. A group of "EMU doctors" who stick to their posts work meticulously to protect the safety of high-speed rail traffic in the Bay Area.
At 23:00 on the 24th, the night was deep and Shenzhen was still unbearably hot. A Fuxing EMU that completed the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Highway operation slowly drove into the Shenzhen EMU maintenance depot. After the power outage was completed, the night maintenance operation officially started.
Ground maintenance mechanic Ouyang Jianbin carried a camera flashlight and leaned into the narrow ditch to perform chassis maintenance. The trench was densely covered with pipelines and bogies. He held a flashlight and scanned the wheel sets, brake pads, shock absorbers and other core components one by one, paying close attention to every maintenance point without daring to relax at all. "The running section is the 'legs' of the train. Even if a bolt is loose, it may cause a major safety accident. There is no room for carelessness." Ouyang Jianbin said.
In the maintenance depot of Shenzhen EMU, EMU maintenance engineers are working. Photo courtesy of Guangzhou Bureau of China Railway
During the inspection, he keenly discovered that the wear of a brake caliper pad was close to the limit. He immediately took out a measuring tool to measure accurately. After confirming that the limit was exceeded, he immediately notified his colleagues through the intercom to replace it on site. According to reports, the running section of an 8-group EMU needs to check thousands of points. During the overnight operation, the repeated movements of raising and lowering his head for maintenance often made his neck stiff and sore. During the peak passenger flow period during festivals, he needs to complete the maintenance tasks of 4 sets of EMUs every night.
At the brake pad replacement site, mechanic Wang Pan operated with precision and cooperated tacitly. He half-crouched and half-knelt to fix the workpiece, used his strength to remove the old brake pad, and accurately pushed the new brake pad into the slot. With the "click" locking sound, he completed the replacement operation quickly and efficiently. The whole set of movements was skillful and neat.
Under-car chassis maintenance protects driving safety, while in-car facility maintenance takes into account passengers’ travel experience. Mechanic Xu Liang carried a tool kit to inspect the carriage equipment one by one, focusing on seats, electric tea stoves, lighting, toilets and other facilities frequently used by passengers.
"Passengers must be safe and comfortable when traveling," Xu Liang said while checking. He repeatedly pressed the seat cushion to check the elasticity, touched the seat rail to confirm smooth adjustment, opened and closed the small table to test the functional status, and checked for potential equipment hazards one by one. Next to the electric tea stove, he tested the sensitivity of the buttons, connected the water and checked the water status. At the same time, he carefully checked the bathroom door lock, water pressure of the sink, curtain slides, seat charging port and other details. He insisted on ensuring that all equipment was fully covered by "touching, seeing, and actual testing" to ensure the passenger experience.
At 4 o'clock on the 25th, the roof maintenance work was still continuing. Mechanic Liu Xiande climbed onto the narrow roof of the high-speed train and carried out special maintenance focusing on the pantograph, the core power supply component. The pantograph is a key device for the EMU to obtain power and ensure operation. It accurately measures the thickness of the carbon plate, carefully checks various performance indicators, and immediately proceeds to the next maintenance work after confirming that the components are in good condition. When he finished his homework and walked down the stairs, the sky was already turning white, and his hair under the helmet was already soaked with sweat.
During the festival, the online rate of Shenzhen EMU trains is expected to reach 100%. From nightfall to dawn, this group of high-speed rail maintenance personnel work day and night to perform meticulous inspections and repairs, using strict standards to build a defense line for the safe operation of the trains and protect the reunion of thousands of passengers. (over)
