Train enthusiasts, rail fans, trainspotters or buffs, have a variety of special interests. Some record the numbers of locomotives or rolling stock, or look for historical aspects of trains and lines, while others are interested in the architecture of railway stations and buildings. In China, some young people have taken their enthusiasm for trains in a very different direction.

Like Wang Dong, who is pursuing a doctorate at Fudan University. Wang shot to fame last month when he had posted on his microblog photographs of the eight train tickets he had bought to travel to his hometown in Deyang, Sichuan Province for the Spring Festival.

The eight tickets showed Wang's journey beginning at Shanghai's Hongqiao Railway Station, then he was to change at Nanjing in Jiangsu Province, Macheng, Hankou, Jingzhou, Yichang in Hubei Province, Dazhou, Chengdu and Deyang in Sichuan Province.

The reactions to this feat varied from those who thought he just had problems buying a train ticket during the Spring Festival to others who thought he was crazy.

Saving time

Wang began his journey on February 8 and although he had the eight tickets, in fact he only changed trains five times - he discovered he did not need to change trains at Macheng and Jingzhou.

When most people were struggling to book direct train tickets to get home for the festival, most could not understand why Wang would choose such a complicated route.

"The reason why I changed trains so many times is that it saved a lot of time," Wang told the Global Times. By changing trains, it took Wang 26 hours to get from Shanghai to Deyang, but the fastest direct train trip takes 36 hours.

It cost him 642 yuan ($103.17) to buy the eight tickets, around 200 yuan more than a direct route ticket. But it was worth the extra money for Wang because he spent more time with his parents and he said it was easier to purchase tickets for short trips than for long journeys. He came back to Shanghai the same way on February 21.

Wang fell in love with trains when he was a high school student. A railway line passed close by his school and Wang watched the trains passing every day and dreamt about being on those trains one day and traveling throughout China.

The idea of saving time by changing trains came to Wang in 2010 when he arrived at Fudan University to pursue his master's degree. He found the direct train from Shanghai to Deyang took 36 hours which he felt was too long. Then he discovered that if he changed trains in Wuhan, Hubei Province, the journey only took 29 hours. After that, he became hooked on saving time by changing trains. He said that as well as saving time his hobby gives him some new experiences - like sampling the famous duck necks in Wuhan.

His hobby also means he now can spend more time with his girlfriend who lives in Fujian Province. Before, whenever he visited her, he would not arrive until the evening. By changing trains at Hangzhou, Jinhua and Ningbo, he gets to arrive at midday. He delights in traveling by train and enjoys watching the other passengers and listening to their conversations.

Skill with timetables

It needs some skill to work out timetables and routes like this. Twenty-eight-year-old Zhang Yao also chose to transfer trains a few times to reach Beijing from his hometown in Wuhan on February 14, the day millions began returning to cities where they work all over China.

The computer software developer changed trains in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, and Shijiazhuang, Baoding and Zhuozhou in Hebei Province. Unlike Wang, Zhang bought inclusive tickets which very few people have heard of.

Inclusive tickets date back to the early days of rail travel in China. If there were no direct rail links between two cities, passengers could buy inclusive tickets and change trains along the route so that they could reach their destinations eventually. As railways developed and the network spread, most passengers elected to buy direct-route tickets instead of changing trains on the way. But train enthusiasts appreciate the value of inclusive tickets.

Although Zhang bought an inclusive ticket for his February 14 trip because there was no direct route available, he generally buys inclusive tickets and enjoys the experience of changing trains and visiting different cities along the way.

There's an economic advantage as well - for inclusive train tickets, the longer a journey is, the lower the price is. Zhang saves money this way because he is not paying for a series of shorter trips like Wang Dong.

Another plus for the inclusive tickets is that they are generally valid for at least 48 hours. If a ticket holder wants to pause the journey somewhere, he or she can get off and rest or visit a city along the way. Passengers with ordinary tickets cannot do this. On a trip from Beijing to Liuzhou in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Zhang was feeling exhausted when he reached Huaihua in Hunan Province. So he decided to book into a hotel for a rest and resumed his journey several hours later.

"Using inclusive tickets makes travel more flexible," Zhang said. He buys inclusive tickets for 90 percent of his trips - often on the way he stops off for a day in his hometown in Wuhan.

But there can be problems with inclusive tickets. Inclusive ticket holders can't reserve seats in advance so if the train on next section of a journey is booked out, they have to wait or stand for that part of the trip.

A need for knowledge

Traveling with inclusive tickets often requires a real knowledge of China's rail network. Some trains don't stop at certain stations. Zhang suggested that new travelers check their routes carefully with their ticket sellers.

Zhang became a rail expert by studying rail websites and from practical experiences. A keen mathematician, he was fascinated with the way the prices of train tickets were calculated and this led to his enthusiasm for rail travel. "I used to book direct journeys to tourist spots like most people, but now I am less interested in sightseeing at those spots and more interested in looking at the scenery from a train window."

In 2012, Zhang traveled 60,000 kilometers by train rail - the equivalent of traveling between Shanghai and Beijing 46 times. He is planning a trip to Kunming in Yunnan Province and will change trains at Chengdu, Xichang and Panzhihua in Sichuan Province. Although Xichang and Panzhihua are not famous for tourist attractions, Zhang wants to learn how they have each developed with the advent of railway links.

Duan Shiwen, from Bengbu in Anhui Province, is perhaps an unlikely railway enthusiast. The 21-year-old, majoring in computer at Hefei Normal University in Anhui Province, was born with cerebral palsy which left him crippled. As a 10-year-old, he could only walk for 10 meters unaided and if he fell down he could not get up on his own. But he fell in love with trains when he was a child and was being taken by his parents on the Shanghai-Beijing rail line regularly to see doctors in Beijing. He traveled alone for the first time when he was 13 and went to Nanjing even though he was incapable of getting back on his feet if he tumbled. 

"But Nanjing is not far from Bengbu and I knew the railway and this made me feel safe," Duan told the Global Times. At first he would take the direct rail route to Beijing but after his Nanjing trip he grew in confidence and tried different routes. Like the time he was going to Beijing but got off the train in Hefei to catch another train on the Beijing-Kowloon line.

"Because I have been unable to walk properly since birth, when I began to be able to walk a little I wanted to give meaning to my life and I did this by traveling on trains," Duan said. "At first, I was uncomfortable as people stared at me because of the way I walked. But in the end I realized that the way other people looked at me meant nothing. No one could stop me buying a ticket and getting on the train."

Even after the time when he was threatened by a knife-wielding thief on a train from Bengbu to Beijing, Duan continued to enjoy his railway adventures. The thief broke into a toilet and took all of his money leaving him just with the rail ticket. But the incident didn't leave Duan frightened of travel at all. Quite the opposite. 

"Another reason for my passion for trains is that I am looking for love," Duan said. He became close to a girl from Chengdu some time ago and she would visit him, sometimes spending 34 hours on a train to get to see him. Sadly the girl committed suicide later. "On a train, you meet people from every corner of the country. I want to prove that the world is kindhearted."

To date Duan has traveled 70,000 kilometers by train, talked to many different people, and made many friends. "In these people I have seen unconditional love, courage, tenderness, and the desire for self-improvement and independence," he said.