Driving a freight train is harder than a passenger train in every way. The freight train conductor only has a middle compartment of more than 10 square meters, all iron and steel. In the summer, it's like a 39-40 degree oven, but there's no electricity, it's extremely hot...
Rocking with the train wheels
4am, winter so the sky is still dark, the Yen Vien station freight yard is lit up. The train car's technical condition is guaranteed, the inspection of the number of cars and containers is completed, the train captain and the council members test the brakes of the train, ensuring the braking system operates smoothly before rolling.
Captain Dao Cong Trong checks the pressure gauge.
At 5am, train H9 departed for Song Than station. In the last train conductor's car, a freight train conductor took his position, preparing to signal safety to the patrol, the gatekeeper, and the station train operator each time the train passed. Two other train conductors and a technical escort worker arranged their belongings and documents, ready for the approximately 40-hour journey.
The train swayed as dawn gradually broke. Lifting the aluminum window with a wooden plank, train captain Dao Cong Trong smiled: "This initiative is to get light, air and especially summer breeze to cool down. In summer, the train car is all iron and steel, like a 39-40 degree oven, but there is no electricity."
Then pointing to the 24 volt battery, he said it was mainly used to turn on the lights, in the summer it could only run a 12 volt fan so it was still very hot.
Train captain Ngo Xuan Bac introduced his "premises" in more detail. It was said to be a freight train captain's car, but in reality, there was only a middle compartment of more than 10 square meters, and both ends of the car were used to stack goods. In that 10 square meters, there were two sleeping compartments, one for the on-duty train captain, one for the two train captains who were coming down from work and the workers on the car to rest. In addition, there was a toilet and a plastic water tank. Everything was old and cramped.
Mr. Trong added: "The trip is 40 hours, the return trip is 40 hours, all work and living are on this car. It's much harder than the passenger train, but the salary is higher. I used to take the freight train before, then switched to the passenger train, when the unit needed me, I took the freight train again. To be honest, besides the salary, there's also the responsibility. Because it's said that the salary is higher, but the average actual income is only about 8 million VND."
Then Mr. Trong said, when the Covid-19 pandemic was complicated, especially in the South, passenger trains had to stop, but cargo trains still ran regularly between the two regions, especially transporting medical supplies and necessities to support the South in fighting the pandemic.
Happy to be trusted by customers
The train passed quickly through Thanh Hoa , the train captain Nguyen Van Viet said in the same voice: "That's my hometown. My family, wife and children are still in the countryside. Tet is coming, I don't know if I can celebrate Tet at home...".
Train captain Dao Cong Trong checks the condition of the cars and containers.
Anh Viet said that near Tet, cargo trains will stop running because stevedores in Binh Duong area will be off work and return home for Tet. The train captain will be transferred to work on passenger trains. This is the peak time for passenger transport, there are more passenger trains running, labor needs to be mobilized, some trips go through New Year's Eve, some trips go right before Tet.
"For the past two or three years, my wife and I have been living separately, and our two children are young. I asked to take the extra train before and after Tet so I could stay home for 2-3 days during Tet. But before Tet, I take the train until December 28-29, so I can't help my wife with anything.
Taking the train during Tet is also more difficult because there are many passengers, but I'm used to it. I help and support passengers, and when passengers acknowledge and praise the railway staff for their good and dedicated service, I feel happy," Viet shared.
Like Mr. Viet, Mr. Trong said that in 17 years of working, he only celebrated Tet at home for a few years, the rest of the time he mainly celebrated Tet on the train.
"I got married late, my children are still young, the first one is in 2nd grade, the second one is in 1st grade. When I got married, everyone teased me, saying that being a train conductor is hard, you have to travel all the time, the salary is low, but you still get a wife, otherwise you would be single forever!", Mr. Trong said with a laugh.
Put aside personal worries
"I remember that during Tet, my wife was pregnant with our second child and was about to give birth. My husband had to go on a ship, so it was very difficult. I was home alone, pregnant and taking care of a small child. My wife also wanted her husband to stay home, but if I stayed, the others would have to go. Moreover, there were many ships, many passengers, and the unit was short of people. I was both worried and sorry for my wife," Mr. Trong continued.
Captain Dao Cong Trong and Ngo Xuan Bac in the working cabin.
Then he said, he missed his wife and children, but on the contrary, he was also happy when passengers loved him and thanked him for accompanying them, bringing them back home in time to reunite with their families.
I still remember, about 4 years ago, on the Thong Nhat SE9/10 train, there was a foreign couple boarding the train from Saigon station. Near New Year's Eve, the train crew met and invited the passengers to the restaurant car to celebrate New Year's Eve with the crew.
This couple was very surprised and happy to be able to participate in the traditional Vietnamese New Year celebration, witnessing the New Year's Eve customs on the ship. There were also fruit trays, offerings, peach branches, banh chung, and the ship's crew burning incense to "farewell the old, welcome the new", wishing for a good year in a joyful atmosphere.
Vietnamese guests had their own feelings, those who could not return home in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with their loved ones were sad, but felt less sad because they were able to celebrate New Year's Eve warmly with the crew. Everyone was happy, wishing each other a lucky and peaceful new year.
"At that time, there were many indescribable emotions. This year, I also wanted to celebrate Tet at home with my wife and children, but if the unit assigned me, I would go on the road... Bringing joy to passengers is also my happiness!", Mr. Trong said.
More difficult than running a passenger train
Mr. Nguyen Trong Trung, Head of the Freight Train Team, Hanoi Railway Attendant Station (Hanoi Railway Attendant Group) shared that the job of a freight train conductor is very hard. The freight train team manages 12 train teams, each train team when on duty consists of 3 train leaders from the attendant team, and a technical escort worker on the train. The train leaders take turns to do safety and cargo duties; the wagon workers check and prepare the wagons along the way.
The train crew must arrive at the station one day in advance at Hanoi station, receive the train plan, assign tasks to each person, then move to the accommodation area behind Yen Vien station to wait for the train. If you take the H9 train departing from Yen Vien at 5am, you must wake up at 3am to get on the train; if you take the H15 train departing at 1am, you must get on the train at 11pm to work according to regulations.
On the journey, every time the train stops for more than 5 minutes, the train captain must get off and check safety along the train, especially checking the lead seals of the containers for fear that thieves will jump on and cut the seals, take the goods, and will be held responsible.
The train does not have air conditioning like a passenger train, and it shakes, and the faster it goes, the more it shakes. You have to take care of your own food along the way. There is no kitchen on the train, and you cannot cook on the train, so you have to order food at the station in advance, and get off when the train stops.
"That's why when we first launched the express train product specializing in the Yen Vien - Song Than container route, the unit had to call on the volunteer spirit of party members, of long-time, experienced train captains who were traveling by passenger train to travel by freight train. Gradually, the old people mentored the new people, then took turns traveling by passenger train - freight train, forming a team of freight train captains who were professional, proactive, and flexible in their work," said Mr. Trung.
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