BIG GAINS ON SLOW TRACKS

Ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday, on Feb 8, two slow passenger trains winding through Guizhou's mountains were transformed into pop-up marketplaces.

When passengers boarded, instead of the routine station announcements, they were greeted by the bright tones of lusheng pipes and Dong ethnic group's pipa performances, filling the carriages with a festive mood.

One carriage was refitted for agricultural goods. Seats were removed, and the space quickly filled with fresh vegetables, turning it into a bustling mobile marketplace.

Temporary fairs on board allowed passengers to buy vegetables harvested only hours earlier alongside a range of holiday supplies.

The No 5640 and No 5639 services run between Yuping Dong autonomous county of Tongren city and the provincial capital Guiyang, linking more than 100 villages along the route.

Averaging under 50 kilometers per hour, the slow train has operated since 1997. A full-route ticket costs 44.5 yuan (about $6.50), while the lowest fare is 6 yuan, helping keep travel affordable for local residents.

These trains are among several similar services that continue to operate across the region.

Even as the national high-speed rail network reaches speeds close to 300 km per hour, some public-interest slow trains still run through remote mountain areas and ethnic communities, providing residents with reliable and convenient transport.

Villagers say the station is within walking distance of their homes. Without the train, they would have to walk an hour to town and then transfer to a minibus to reach the city, which is time-consuming and onerous.

"Especially in winter, roads can ice over and become impassable, but our train runs in all weather," says conductor Hu Guichuan.

"Our train stops at every station. Villagers often board carrying 10 to 15 kilograms of fresh vegetables and other farm produce to sell in the city, then return by train," he says while helping a passenger secure a basket.

Hu adds that many sellers disembark at Kaili in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture and sell at a market less than 100 meters from the station, a spot he visits regularly.

For Hu, his role goes beyond routine duties. He and the other conductors act as informal market liaisons.

As many villagers lack timely market information, Hu uses his breaks to check local prices for vegetables, meat and eggs, then shares that information with sellers.

"A lot of villagers did not know how much their goods could fetch. We would check prices and tell them," Hu says.

He adds that some villagers who once earned 30 to 40 yuan a day can now take home more than 50 yuan.

"Operationally, the slow train may run at a loss, but the real gains are in people's livelihoods," says Li Guowen, who manages another service on the line.

As the service evolves, the slow train has also become a draw for tourists.

In recent years, onboard New Year stalls have attracted visitors. Bright piles of ginger and red dried chilies add vivid local color.

For many tourists, riding this green-painted rural train through Guizhou's mountains is more appealing than taking a direct high-speed journey.

The railway department has partnered with Guizhou's tourism authorities to invite intangible cultural heritage inheritors and calligraphy enthusiasts on board to demonstrate Miao embroidery, batik and other crafts, offering visitors from home and abroad a closer look at Guizhou's culture.

Compiled by Liu Boqian