Rain fell in sheets and wind swept through the night as a battle to safeguard the transport corridor into and out of Xizang quietly unfolded on the tracks at Lhasa West Station on the Qinghai-Xizang Railway.

"Couple!" "Stop!" "Start!" Crisp shunting commands cut through the rain, a well-rehearsed interplay with steel. They are Shunting Team A of the Lhasa Railway Operations Section at Lhasa West Station of Qinghai-Xizang Railway—a team long stationed at the "steel throat" of the plateau railway.

"The rain hasn't stopped and the ground is wet and slippery. Tuck your cuffs and trouser legs tight, put on your gloves, and the lead connector must keep a sharp lookout! " Shunting team leader Jia Gunan announced the work plan and safety reminders in a booming voice. As soon as he finished, Team A's members quickly adjusted their protective gear, checked each other's raincoat straps, and, without another word, dispersed into the rain.

This is a key hub on the Qinghai-Xizang Railway, handling daily marshalling, breaking up, transferring, loading and unloading of freight trains entering and leaving Xizang. Every shunting move affects the flow of goods and regional economic activity. After days of nighttime rain, the ballast was waterlogged, car ladders and walkways were as slippery as ice, and signals were hard to make out through the rain and mist. But trains wait for no one, and goods cannot be delayed. Everyone in Team A knew: the worse the weather, the more they had to stick together.

Confirmations came one after another over the radio: "Standing cars on Freight Track 7, track and level crossing confirmed."  "Shunting team leader, roger." Then "Couple," "Stop," "Start," "Stop"—a string of short, forceful commands rang out, and the locomotive coupled securely to the cars.

The connector quickly attached the brake hoses, while rear-end workers went between the cars to remove the anti-runaway devices. Red lights on their body cameras blinked, and every step was carried out by the book. The whole process flowed smoothly—not because one person was quick, but because of the tacit understanding the team had honed through long-term teamwork. After mutual checks were completed, the train slowly pulled out in the rain. Wheels rolled through puddles, splashing water onto their already soaked trousers, but no one was distracted.

At 1:20 a.m., the last batch of shunting plans was completed and the rain began to ease. Without pausing to catch his breath, Jia Gunan first reminded everyone, "We must not slacken anti-runaway precautions at all. The rain keeps stopping and starting. Grab some hot water to warm up and be ready for the next batch at any time."

At 2:23 a.m., the radio crackled again. They geared up in unison and returned to the yard.

"This is the peak season for freight transport into and out of Xizang. No matter how heavy the rain is, we cannot delay train departures or affect loading and unloading efficiency."

That night, Shunting Team A at Lhasa West Station completed eight batches of shunting operations involving 223 moves, five pick-up and delivery runs on dedicated sidings, made up and dispatched seven trains, and unloaded 201 freight cars. The wind and rain continued, and Team A's work went on. Rail transport at Lhasa West Station remained stable throughout.

Reporter: Lu Wenjing, Jin Yaoxun

Translator: Ni Weijing

First Review: Liu Fang

Second Review: Drakpa Wangchen

Third Review: Hu Rongguo