Conductor Cui Daqing hands out red papers with “Fu” character to passengers to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival aboard Train No. 6437 running from Beijing to Dajian, Shanxi Province, on February 11, 2026. Photo: Li Hao/GT

“Wishing everyone an early happy Spring Festival – here are some ‘Fu’ characters for you. May good fortune come your way,” a conductor called out.

“Conductor, I’d like one!” “Me too!”

On the afternoon of February 11, train No. 6437 was already filled with a festive atmosphere. Train conductor Cui Daqing held a stack of red papers with “Fu” character, offering passengers warm New Year wishes in a loud and cheerful voice. Festive paper-cut decorations adorned the windows, reflecting the mountain scenery rushing past outside. The luggage racks were crammed with holiday goods – tote bags packed with Beijing specialties and toys for children back home.

This unhurried “green train” was carrying people who had been working or studying in Beijing on their journey home. Inside the carriage, passengers – whether acquainted or not – chatted animatedly, their laughter echoing through the train, much like relatives and friends gathered around a New Year’s Eve dinner table.

Train No. 6437 departs from Beijing West Railway Station at 5:40 pm and arrives at Dajian Station in North China’s Shanxi Province at 0:58 am the following day. At 5:39 am, it departs again from Dajian Station for its return trip to Beijing. As the only regular passenger train on the Beijing-Yuanping Railway that stops at every station, it has served residents of towns and villages along the route for more than 50 years.

“The route spans 252 kilometers, with 32 stops along the way, and passes through 121 tunnels and 161 bridges. It has been running since 1972,” Cui told the Global Times, reeling off the figures with ease.

Affordability and convenience are the train’s most distinctive features. A full-length ticket costs 30.5 yuan ($4.2), equivalent to about 0.18 yuan per kilometer, while the lowest fare is just 4 yuan. During the trip, the reporter observed that only eight stations along the line handle ticketing services; at the others, passengers can simply board first and purchase tickets on the train – as convenient as taking a bus.

A corner of the carriage is stocked with books and newspapers for passengers to read, as well as an emergency kit containing power banks, magnifying glasses, reading glasses and disposable raincoats.

A 57-year-old man surnamed Yang sat by the window in a sleeper carriage, leisurely taking in the scenery outside. He has worked at a cement factory in Beijing for more than a decade and was set to get off at Wang’an Town Station that evening. “The ticket costs just over 20 yuan. The train stops at every small station and goes straight into the town. After getting off, I can just walk home,” he said with a smile. “The train may be slow, but it’s warm.”

Train No. 6437 waits for departure at Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, on February 11, 2026. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Passengers have felt the changes to the train most deeply. In 2023, No. 6437 was upgraded from old carriages heated by coal-fired boilers and cooled by electric fans to air-conditioned ones, greatly enhancing comfort. A woman surnamed Liu, in her 50s, has worked in a canteen in Beijing for more than a decade and has frequently taken this train since leaving home for work.

“A ticket from Beijing to Nanchengsi Town costs 17.5 yuan, which is quite cheap. Now the facilities are much better. There’s air-conditioning and hot water available anytime,” she told the Global Times.

The train is also something of a “sightseeing coach,” passing more than a dozen tourist attractions along the way, including the Yunju Temple, Shidu and Yesanpo scenic areas. Many villagers take this train to transport their agricultural products to tourist hotspots, earning a considerable income for their families. When heavy snow or other severe weather closes highways in the Taihang Mountains, this slow train becomes the most reliable means of travel for local residents.

As the train rolled steadily onward, Cui moved through the carriage, greeting passengers. “Although our train doesn’t have the same facilities as high-speed rail, our service is absolutely in place. We have blended in with everyone here. We have become friends,” he said. Some passengers share freshly picked peaches from the mountains with the crew, while others turn to Cui and the attendants for advice whenever they run into difficulties.

Today, many rural families own cars and can drive to county towns or cities to catch faster transportation. Yet this “stop-at-every-station” train continues to fulfill its mission. Like a warm bond, it links one small platform after another, carrying the gentle, unhurried happiness of ordinary people.