Across China: From Changchun to Rio: Chinese train engineer tells tale of two cities

Shortly after the delight of his daughter's birth, Dou Wang started packing: Around 800,000 people on the other side of the globe were depending on the Chinese engineer to get them to work on time.

Dou, 31, works for CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicle Co. in northeastern China. The company delivered its first train to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's Olympic city, in 2012 and Dou was sent there the following year to train local staff and join in the train maintenance.

"Rio has become my second home," he said.

While sports lovers were counting down the days till the opening of Games, Dou was attending the birth of his daughter on Monday back in Changchun. But next week he will have to fly to Rio again.

"I felt sorry for missing most of my wife's pregnancy," he said, "but she is very considerate."

Although Dou likes sports, he doubts whether he will have much chance to watch the Olympics live. "There will be large number of extra passengers and our workload will be heavy," he said.

Brazil is the first Latin American importer of China-made trains. Leading manufacturer CRRC has been actively bidding for contracts in overseas markets in recent years and exported its rail transportation equipment to more than 100 countries and regions.

Unlike in many cities with new urban rail networks, Rio's bumpy tracks and old rails are a challenge for train operators.

"We have to be very careful, especially for key parts like the truck. Double checking is a must," Dou said. A malfunctioning truck may lead to derailment.

According to the maintenance contract, the Brazilian operator is responsible for routine checks and maintenance, and the Chinese engineers provide instructions. However, engineers from the two countries are often found working shoulder to shoulder.

Things were not so smooth at the beginning. Dou recalled how his team rushed to a site on receiving a malfunction report at a weekend in late 2014, only to find nobody from the Brazilian side showed up. "Local people were passionate and relaxed. They had never worked overtime at the weekend before," Dou smiled.

After ten hours, local engineers finally arrived and the work was finished around 3 a.m. the next day.

Dedicated and careful, Dou and his colleagues have touched the Brazilian co-workers. "We were delighted when told that 'just listen to the Chinese guys' has become a stock phrase among them," Dou laughed.

Currently, a total number of 134 trains produced by the company are operated in Rio, more than 80 percent of the city's rail transport capacity.

With a maximum speed of 100 km per hour, the trains are equipped with explosion-proof glass, automatic derailment monitors and rust-proof air conditioners that keep the coach temperature between 20 to 23 degrees Celsius even when the outside temperature reaches as high as 56 degrees Celsius.

Wang Bin, head of after-sales services in Brazil, said compared with other trains, the drivers prefer China's trains because of the braking sensitivity and comfortable seats. "We are happy to find 'made in China' has become compliment instead of sarcasm."

The trains pass by the ancient central station and Maracana Stadium, the venue of the opening ceremony of the Olympics. During the 2014 Rio World Cup, the trains carried 11 million passengers in 32 days.

Having withstood the test of the World Cup, Dou is confident about the Olympics. "There will be no problem with our trains," he proclaimed. Endi