Female rail worker switches roles

Former army woman shines in demanding job traditionally performed by men

Coupling train carriages together is one of the most physically demanding and important jobs on a railway track and has traditionally been considered a task only men can perform.

However, after retiring from the People's Liberation Army in December 2019, Qiu Lirong changed that perception. She became a dispatcher at the Shanghang Railway Station in Fujian province, and then spent nine months learning how to couple and decouple carriages and switch trains on a track. She eventually became skilled enough to shunt freight carriages on her own.

Over a 24-hour shift, Qiu completes multiple shunting operations, a task that requires her full strength. To be fit enough for the grueling work schedule, she often goes to the gym after work and has qualified as a fitness trainer.

During Spring Festival, she and her colleagues will dispatch about 200 freight trains a day. "Dispatchers are like ants on freight tracks," Qiu said. "I want to be the busiest and most hardworking of them."