A decade of development at Ereenhot Port

Feng Zhiping works in the train yard at the Ereenhot Port in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Zhang Haifeng/for China Daily]

Feng Zhiping, who has been working in the yard at the Ereenhot Port in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region for the last 10 years, has seen for himself the rapid increase in freight trains bound for Europe.

"The number of trains has kept increasing gradually. I used to see more iron ore trains, then suddenly one day, I noticed there were so many container trains," said the 32-year-old, who is leader of a work group responsible for shunting operations at the Ereenhot railway station, which is run by the China Railway Hohhot Group.

Ereenhot Port is the largest land port on the Chinese-Mongolian border. The number of China-Europe freight train routes passing through the port has increased to 68, connecting more than 60 regions.

Since 2013, when the port welcomed the first China-Europe service, it has facilitated the transit of more than 12,400 trains.

With this year marking the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, Feng said he is proud to have witnessed this development.

Every day, he and his four team members shuttle between inbound and outbound trains, breaking up and remaking them. He described this work somewhat vividly as "threading needles and dancing with giant iron dragons".

With the increasing number of freight services in recent years, work has expanded from six to ten lines, and the team's workload has grown significantly.

"On each shift, we now walk an average of 20,000 steps," he said.

Their schedule consists of day shifts from 8 am to 8 pm, followed by a 24-hour break, and then night shifts from 8 pm to 8 am. This cycle then repeats.

The work is challenging due to Ereenhot's harsh climate, with winter temperatures dropping below minus 30 C, and summer temperatures in excess of 35 C.

Despite the conditions, Feng and his co-workers are dedicated to their work, enduring the extreme cold by wearing heavy coats, hats, and boots, and battling fatigue during scorching summers.

"As our work ensures the smooth operation of the China-Europe freight trains, I think all the effort is worth it," he said.

Feng grew up in a rural part of Ulaanqab, in the autonomous region. After graduating from Baotou Railway Vocational and Technical College, he was assigned to Ereenhot station.

He finds great satisfaction in his work and from starting as an apprentice, he has worked his way up to team leader. Along the way, he married and is now the proud father of a four-month-old son.

"As I witness the development of China-Europe railway services, I experience personal growth alongside my professional achievements."