Caijiaya Express invigorates rural areas

In the northern province of Shanxi, the "Red Caijiaya Express" weaves through the rolling Lyuliang Mountains. Sixty-three-year-old villager Wang Cai'er beams with joy as she experiences the convenience the train has brought to the people living in the old revolutionary base area.

Seven years ago — on June 21, 2018 — the China Railway Taiyuan Bureau Group inaugurated the "Caijiaya" train, officially ending the history of there being no passenger train service in Xingxian county, Lyuliang city, Shanxi.

This railway stretches 224 kilometers, originating in Caijiaya Station in Xingxian county in the west, and reaching Taiyuan, the provincial capital of Shanxi, in the east. The journey takes about four hours. The train passes through Loufan, Lanxian, Lingxian and Xingxian — four counties previously known as old revolutionary base areas and for their poverty. It serves more than one million people and connects over 10 Red tourism sites, including the Shanxi-Suiyuan Border Region Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Caijiaya village.

Wang Cai'er has lived in Caijiaya since her childhood. She said: "When I was young, I traveled by bus. Since the train service began, traveling has become much more convenient. I can enjoy the scenery along the way and feel safe and at ease during the journey."

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). Caijiaya was once the capital of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Revolutionary Base led by the Communist Party of China during the war.

Train conductor Chen Ying said that after the "Caijiaya" train was fully upgraded to the "Red Caijiaya Express" in September 2022, the train not only featured Red culture guides to explain the local cultural history to passengers, but also provided Red-themed books for passengers to read.

She said, "The area is mountainous and deep. In the past, rain and snow would often block the highways, causing travel safety hazards. Now, the stable operation of the train has reassured travelers."

After the upgrading, the train's small tables, luggage racks, windows and headrest covers are all imbued with elements of Red culture. No 3 car of the train has been transformed into a reading carriage, featuring classic Red-themed books, and equipped with QR codes for electronic audiobooks to meet passengers' diverse reading needs and enrich their travel experience.

"More tourists visiting Caijiaya has significantly boosted the local economy and brought substantial changes to the lives of people in the revolutionary old areas," Chen said.

Since its launch, the train has promoted Red culture, driven Red tourism along the route, and organized "train sales" events to help promote local specialties, such as Linxian jujubes, Lanxian potatoes and Xingxian green beans, among passengers, she said. This has increased the income of people in the old areas and injected energy into rural vitalization along the route.

Twenty-three-year-old passenger Lyu Zhiwei said: "I choose to ride the Caijiaya train because it's convenient. This train also has a rich red cultural atmosphere, which makes it very unique compared to other trains."

Hou Zhijie, master of the station, said, "Hopefully, Caijiaya Railway Station will not only be a transportation hub but also a place to inherit 'Red genes'!"

Zhang Yunsen contributed to this story.