STORY: Slow train witnesses rural revitalization in N China's Shanxi
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Feb. 6, 2025
LENGTH: 00:00:59
LOCATION: TAIYUAN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the slow train
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): ZHAO LIHONG, Train attendant

STORYLINE:

In north China's Shanxi Province, the slow green train No. 8818 runs 305 kilometers from Taiyuan to Lingqiu every day, with a full fare of just 34.5 yuan (about 4.74 U.S. dollars).

Passing through counties like Fanshi and Lingqiu, many of which were once impoverished areas, this train has been a lifeline for locals, many of whom have relied on it since childhood for travel beyond the mountains for education and work.

As the region develops, this "green train" has witnessed the improvement of the local people's living standards.

SOUNDBITE (Chinese): ZHAO LIHONG, Train attendant
"In the past, people mainly took the train to buy daily necessities and vegetables in cities. Now, many travel for shopping, purchasing clothes and other goods, showing a clear rise in living standards."

The "green trains," a traditional nickname for old-style Chinese passenger trains, have carriages typically painted green with yellow stripes. In China, they stand as indispensable modes of transportation in regions where fast high-speed rail is not yet available.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Taiyuan, China.
(XHTV)