Qingdao Metro Line 13, which is about to open by the end of the year, is now entering a bustling construction sprint phase. On this approximately 70-kilometer metro line in West Coast, frontline builders who have endured severe cold and scorching heat are working day and night, staying at their posts and silently dedicating themselves to the safe construction of the metro.

　　Owner's Representative at Jinggangshan Road Station — Tian Ye
　
　　"If I don't get a phone call one day, I definitely won't be used to it."

　　From the end of 2014 to now, Tian Ye can't remember how many trips he has made between the city and West Coast, but he can roughly estimate how many phone calls he has made over the past four years.

　　"As an owner's representative, my main job is to handle external liaison for the stations and sections I'm responsible for. From initially being in charge of three stations and three sections, to now being responsible for Jinggangshan Road Station as civil works enter the sprint phase, there are many things to coordinate during this period. On average, I have to make fifty or sixty calls a day, even on Saturdays and Sundays." Tian Ye said that from green relocation and pipeline relocation, to the subsequent civil construction, and then to the upcoming transition from construction to operation, he has been involved throughout the entire process.

　　When problems arise, being able to quickly identify which units to coordinate with, and to quickly come up with solutions for technical difficulties, requires Tian Ye to be an "all-rounder" in business. Tian Ye said that before becoming an owner's representative, he was an employee of a rail transit construction company. During his six years at his original unit, he grew step by step from a technician to safety director and deputy manager. Then, with rich experience, he joined Qingdao West Coast Rail Transit Co., Ltd. as an owner's representative. "I originally thought external liaison wouldn't be difficult, but only after actually doing this job did I realize how much hard work and coordination are needed behind the successful opening of a metro. Now I'm used to answering calls; if one day no one calls me, I definitely won't be used to it."

　　Senior Supervisor of West Coast Rail Transit Equipment Management Office — Shen Ning

　　"Since March, I've only been sleeping about five hours a day."

　　When others are at work, he is busy with meetings, summarizing problems, and solving problems; when others are off work, he goes to the construction site and stays up late for debugging. He is Shen Ning, a young man born in 1987, responsible for the construction and debugging management of the power supply system for Line 13. His wedding is scheduled for September, but he has no time to prepare for it.

　　Compared with Metro Line 2 and Line 3, which are about 22 kilometers long, Metro Line 13, with a total length of about 70 kilometers, has several times the workload and difficulty in both civil construction and operation. Now Shen Ning is immersed in power supply debugging work day and night.

　　"During the day, we have to ensure power supply for other processes, so high-voltage tests and the like can only be conducted after other work stops. For example, a recent power supply short-circuit test lasted from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m. the next day. I went back to the dormitory and slept less than four hours, then at 7:30 I rushed back to the unit to prepare materials for a meeting." Shen Ning said, "The schedule for Line 13 is tight. This kind of work rhythm started in March this year. Generally, power debugging takes anywhere from 8 to 24 hours, mostly at night, so it's basically a continuous cycle of day and night. On average, I only sleep about five hours a day, and weekends basically don't exist. Fortunately, my fiancée and family are very supportive and understanding, which allows me to focus on work. They have also worked hard."

　　Safety and Quality Expert of the Weak Current Work Area, China Railway Electrification Bureau — Wei Ruibu

　　"These thousands of cartoons can make new employees more willing to learn quickly."

　　"An old person in the family is like a treasure." Wei Ruibu, who has worked in safety and quality positions for more than 40 years, is now over 60 years old. With rich frontline work experience and management experience, he has been rehired by his unit to focus on training new employees. Colleagues affectionately describe him as the "helmsman" of the weak current project.

　　Wei Ruibu has his own unique way of training new employees: "drawing cartoons." Although Wei Ruibu is a veteran employee, when he first joined the weak current project of Metro Line 13 in late December 2016, his first "assistant" was a young man born in 1995.

　　"Training is not a formality. To efficiently improve work efficiency and let young employees truly learn and master knowledge, we must use methods that young people like. I also like drawing and painting in my spare time, so I present some knowledge points through cartoons, making some boring science and engineering knowledge more lively and vivid. Young employees can grasp it more easily and are more willing to learn." Wei Ruibu said. Now, on his computer hard drive, he has accumulated more than a thousand cartoons on various topics. Not only that, in order to allow new employees to constantly review, he also made "pocket cartoon books" with photos of risk points and warning cases that are prone to occur in metro construction and distributed them to every employee.

　　Training certainly involves more than just theoretical instruction. Although Wei Ruibu is older, he is in no way inferior to any young person in teaching by example. After explaining theoretical knowledge, whenever he has time, he takes colleagues to inspect the construction site, constantly explaining during the process, and immediately solving problems himself when encountered. "Now whenever we have any problem we don't understand, the first thing we think of is to ask Teacher Wei. In our hearts, he is like an 'encyclopedia'." Wei Ruibu's colleague said.

　　Communication Technician of the Weak Current Work Area, China Railway Electrification Bureau — Zhang Xiao

　　"I am not a strong person, but I will strive to become stronger."

　　The Guzhenkou Depot, located at the tail end of West Coast Metro Line 13, is relatively remote and has incomplete living facilities. However, such a tough working environment attracted a "post-95" young man. He is Zhang Xiao, born in 1995.

　　As a new employee who had graduated less than half a year ago, when Zhang Xiao learned that someone was needed to take charge of the communication system at Guzhenkou Depot, he volunteered and took the initiative to undertake the task. However, a new employee who had just graduated could not handle things independently in terms of practical experience or external coordination, and the living conditions were tough, so Zhang Xiao's supervisor rejected his request. Facing his own shortcomings, Zhang Xiao did not become discouraged. He bought professional books from home and abroad to study, and followed experienced colleagues to the construction site every day to learn techniques. His day-and-night efforts paid off. After nearly half a year of hard work, Zhang Xiao finally earned the opportunity to work at Guzhenkou Depot with his ability.

　　Getting the job opportunity also meant more arduous challenges. Now the equipment room at Guzhenkou Depot is airtight, hot, and humid. Under the "roasting" temperature of 65°C in the machine room, the optimistic Zhang Xiao regards it as a "sauna"; in the nearly 8-kilometer Gangcheng Station section, Zhang Xiao often carries equipment and walks back and forth. His deepest impression was one hot summer noon when he walked 4 kilometers to handle an emergency fault. He eventually suffered heatstroke, but even so, after getting an IV drip, he returned to work immediately.

　　"Don't be a coward, don't be a reckless fool." Zhang Xiao uses this as his motto, dedicating himself fully to work with the hard work and enthusiasm of a young person, positive and upward.

　　Safety and Quality Manager of Lingshanwei Parking Lot — Shan Jingnian

　　"I've been in Qingdao for over 2 years, and the shortest time I've spent at home is one day."

　　Shan Jingnian, a native of Yancheng, Jiangsu, came to Qingdao in 2016 to participate in metro construction and is responsible for on-site safety management. "I manage everything related to safety." Although it sounds like a "big talk," he doesn't just say it casually. The construction site of Lingshanwei Parking Lot, where Shan Jingnian works, has many personnel, many types of work, many cross-operations, high mobility, and great management difficulty. Facing the challenge, Shan Jingnian has his own "remedy": "We conduct education and training before personnel enter the site. In addition to daily safety education, there are weekly inspections, monthly inspections, quarterly inspections, special inspections, etc., to ensure construction safety."

　　Even though the main project was capped last year and has now entered the decoration stage, Yancheng, a place that can be reached by bus in 3.5 hours, is still a hometown that Shan Jingnian rarely gets to visit. "Line 13 has entered the construction sprint phase, and safety and quality allow no carelessness. All inspections must be detailed and thorough. With this busy schedule, there's not much time to go home. The last time I went home was during the Spring Festival." Shan Jingnian said.

　　When talking about his wish after Line 13 opens, this simple man with glasses smiled: "I want to ride the metro from the beginning to the end, to truly feel the changes in West Coast and the changes this line brings."

　　Safety Officer of Lingshanwei Parking Lot — Cheng Xianzhu

　　"Safety inspections are continuous; I can walk 20,000 to 30,000 steps a day."

　　Metro Line 13 has two parking lots, namely Lingshanwei Parking Lot and Dongjiakou Parking Lot. Cheng Xianzhu, safety officer of the Project General Manager Department of the Third Work Area of Qingdao Metro Line 13, CCCC First Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., is responsible for the safety and quality work of Lingshanwei Parking Lot.

　　Inspecting a parking lot with a building area of 40,000 square meters on foot is not an easy task. "Slope support, reserved openings, electrical equipment, stair and elevator shafts, civilized construction, etc., all contents must be checked for safety. Normally, after I arrive at the unit, I go directly to the construction site. Apart from meals and lunch breaks, I basically spend the day continuously inspecting the site, walking an average of 20,000 to 30,000 steps a day." Cheng Xianzhu said that as Line 13 enters the sprint phase, safety is always the top priority. Therefore, whether it's windy or rainy, or in severe heat or cold, he will stick to his post.

　　Cheng Xianzhu said that since May 2015, he has been working as a safety officer for more than three years. Whenever he encounters problems during inspections, he promptly records them in a notebook he carries with him and reports them at the daily scheduling meeting, striving to solve problems as quickly as possible.