CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- July is in the summer and flood season, so it is a heavy task to ensure the railroad transportation safety. The railway bridge and tunnel technicians of Chongqing Engineering and Electricity Section of China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd. are getting busy.

Now, let’s get to know Zhao Yong who is a railway bridge and tunnel technician. In his 33-year career, he checked the railway bridge and tunnel equipment every day; and he has cured more than 200 railway bridges so far. Therefore, he is also known as a senior “bridge and tunnel doctor”.

It is not easy to be a good “bridge and tunnel doctor'.

In 1991, the 17-year-old Zhao Yong became a bridge and tunnel worker. He originally thought that bridge and tunnel workers do not need to know much knowledge, but he realized that everywhere here is his “knowledge blind spot” when he personally worked at Xiangyang-Chongqing Railway, and faced the southwest mountainous areas of complex geology and a variety of bridges and tunnels.

In order to master the job skills as soon as possible, he learned by doing, followed his master to go out to work, rushed to do dirty and hard work during the day; and after returning from work, at night, he worked overtime to read books to learn skills and improve himself.

“At that time, the conditions were hard. It was not easy to learn knowledge. So, sometimes, in order to figure out a difficult problem, I almost asked for advice from everyone I met, and learned when a book I had.” Recalling the scene at that time, Zhao Yong joked that “Sometimes I asked so many questions that the person didn’t want to answer me.”

With the love of bridges and tunnels, and hard study, his business skills improved rapidly, and soon got the recognition of everyone. In 2000, he was nominated to become the shift leader of the work area. Two years later, he took the post of the foreman of the work area.

He had fought countless hard battles together with his colleagues. In 1997, for the bridge reinforcement of Xiangyang-Chongqing Railway, he worked in the front line for half a year to ensure the normal operation of equipment; in 2003, Dazhou-Wanzhou Railway suffered a once-in-a-hundred-year flood, he worked at the scene for two days and two nights without sleep; and in 2020, upon connection of Zhengzhou-Chongqing Railway, the outdoor temperature in December was only a few degrees Celsius, while the temperature inside the tunnels which were not penetrated were close to 50 degrees Celsius, so he would have a towel to wipe off the sweat before entered the tunnel; he knocked on the tunnel thousands of times a day so as to determine whether the tunnel has abnormal echo to ensure the absolute safety ...…

Nowadays, he also shoulders the important responsibility of training young workers. “Feng, look at whether the upper and lower seat plates of the bearing are close together, and describe the location and disease clearly when recording.” During the bridge inspection, he will teach the young workers in person.

In daily life, he is considerate. Previously, the workers did not have a dormitory, they lived in a private house that can accommodate 40 persons, and there are a lot of mosquitoes in summer. So, Zhao Yong paid out of his own pocket to buy mosquito-repellent incense and mosquito nets for workers, and he also took advantage of the rest time to go out to buy food with cooks to improve purveyance. “The conditions here are tough and I hope to make everyone feel at home,” Zhao Yong said.

In July, a new round of heavy rainfall has visited the mountain city. Zhao Yong reminded his colleagues to brace themselves and guard every tunnel and bridge so that every traveler arrives at their destination safely. (Translated by Vichy, Fathom Language Limited)