By Lu Lijing
　　
　　In just 3 hours and 59 minutes, the Hong Kong-bound G417/8 train whisks passengers from the verdant city of Nanning to Hong Kong, the "Pearl of the Orient", with only four stops en route. With a diverse passenger mix – foreign nationals, business travelers, family visitors and tourists – the G417/8 serves as both a "mobile window" showcasing the professionalism and dedication of China’s railway police, and a key channel connecting Guangxi to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, fostering a new pattern for the region’s comprehensive opening-up.
　　The West Kowloon Women’s Railway Police Team of the Nanning Railway Public Security Bureau leverages the meticulousness, perceptiveness, and tenacity that female officers bring to the role, infusing warmth into law enforcement duties, balancing firm enforcement with human touch, and ensuring the safety of G418/7.

　　Unwavering Commitment
　　In July 2019, when Hong Kong-bound services from Nanning to West Kowloon officially commenced, Nanning Railway Public Security Bureau had its first railway police teams stationed on board to meet this new cross-boundary challenge. "The selection criteria back then were exceptionally rigorous. Candidates needed legal expertise, emergency response skills and bilingual proficiency – in English and Cantonese," Huang Weiqing, Chief of the Fourth Railway Police Detachment, recalled.
　　 "The line had just opened, with no playbook to follow. We had to improvise and refine, keeping patrol logs on every run." Since service commenced, veteran officers like Huang have logged over 1,400 incident-free runs. Their 20-odd volumes of handwritten patrol logs have become field-tested training manuals for the teams that followed.
　　In April 2023, as Hong Kong-bound services resumed after pandemic suspensions, the railway police force underwent a significant transformation: the West Kowloon Women’s Railway Police Team officially made its debut on board the trains.
　　"This route plays to the strengths of female officers," explained Wei Hejin, political commissar of the brigade. "Here, business and first-class seats sell out first, unlike regular trains where second-class seats go first."
　　"Analysis shows that the G417/8 has fewer public-order issues than typical services. Passengers rarely clash openly; instead, minor frictions arise over travel etiquette – luggage placement, seat reclining, and mobile phone volume. Female officers, with their patience, approachability and communication skills, can pinpoint these issues faster and defuse tensions more effectively. That unique advantage led us to form the West Kowloon Women’s Railway Police Team."
　　Wang Xia, political instructor of the Sixth Detachment of the Railway Police Brigade, elaborated, "When service resumed, we raised the bar for recruitment, seeking not just technical proficiency but all-round capability. New recruits then receive additional training in cross-cultural communication, standardized protocols, emergency response skills and more, so as to enhance their overall law enforcement capabilities in complex environments."
　　Today, the West Kowloon Women’s Railway Police Team presents a distinctive and delightful presence aboard, safeguarding every journey with professionalism and meticulousness.

　　Heart-warming Safeguarding
　　"Mind your belongings, everyone. Tuck your phones and tablets away before you sleep. Open coat pockets are not for valuables. Keep your wallets, phones and jewelry zipped up so they’re safe..." Outside the window, karst peaks rolled past like a living scroll; inside the train, Wu Luoxia moved on to her next "briefing post".
　　She tailors her safety reminders to different segments and situations. "Take the southern section from Nanning to Wuzhou, for example," Wu explained. "Numerous mountains and tunnels mean no phone signal, so passengers tend to doze off. They are prone to leaving things behind when half-asleep or just waking up. So for this section I need to hammer home the belongings message."
　　On every patrol, Wu makes it her routine to share safety tips, guarding against theft and scams. Her engaging style keeps passengers listening attentively, nodding in agreement.
　　Though now a well-known "safety awareness specialist" in the Nanning Railway Public Security Division, Wu once had a blind spot in her role. In her early days on duty, she regarded safety awareness promotion as merely a "tick-box exercise", until one "failed" reminder made her rethink everything.
　　That day, she was making standard rounds on the train. But one stop later, the control room relayed an emergency call: a passenger had left behind a backpack containing contract documents of significant value. To her relief, the bag was finally recovered, but the incident served as a wake-up call: "This robotic recitation of safety briefings reaches only the passengers’ ears, but not their minds."
　　The experience set her on a quest: how to ensure quality and effectiveness of safety awareness promotion to truly make a difference?
　　"The approach and content should be tailored to different passengers," Wu concluded. "For example, passengers with children, seniors, foreign tourists and homeward travelers face distinct risks and challenges, so the emphases of safety reminders must be adapted." Therefore, she carries a mobile outreach kit, which contains materials for different groups of people: large-print "caring reminder cards" for seniors, bilingual assistance guides in Chinese and English for foreign passengers, and cartoon-style "safety tips" popular with children.
　　Off duty, she’s often found refining these materials in her office. "I always think about how passengers will receive each piece when I use these materials."
　　During the summer rush, the carriage became Wu’s special mobile classroom. For the increased number of student tour groups, she devised "One-Minute Railway Safety Lessons", where she gave visual demonstrations of common scams like "borrowing money for a ticket" cons and QR scams, and staged scenarios like thefts of phones on tray tables. She was able to unpack the logic of scams in kid-friendly terms, so this brief minute shifted from a one-way lecture drill to an immersive awakening.
　　And Wu’s "promotional ingenuity" does not stop there. Noting the high passenger turnover in Guangzhou and Shenzhen stations, where similar-looking luggage gets easily mixed-up in the rush, she devised an oversized hanging tag for luggage racks. "This time we’re designing a large sign hanging at eye level above luggage racks, so that no one will miss it when retrieving their bags. It’s got to be noticeable".
　　In Wu’s view, it is through these constant adaptations – tackling issues as they arise, refining methods on the fly – that weave warmth and safety into the journeys north and south.
　　Since summer began, Wu has delivered more than 200 safety briefings, reaching over 40,000 passengers, and handed out over 1,000 luggage tags and stickers for those with similar-looking bags. Trains she has worked on have seen no incidents of theft, fraud or assault, and luggage mix-ups have been significantly reduced. Wu’s innovative approach makes safety visible, memorable and actionable, boosting awareness and safeguarding every journey.

　　The Power of a Dialect
　　Liang Xinyue, who grew up in Yulin, Guangxi, feels a natural love for Lingnan culture. "I grew up in a Cantonese-speaking area and am familiar with the cultural environment of Guangdong and Guangxi," said Liang. Her background allows her to communicate effortlessly with passengers who speak the Cantonese dialect. Unlike some of her colleagues, she didn’t feel nervous on her first shift on the Hong Kong-bound train. Instead, she felt in her heart that this route was "the one for me".
　　"Although my Cantonese carries a local vernacular accent, being able to understand Cantonese makes me feel more at ease in my work," Liang said.
　　Her linguistic advantage proved particularly valuable when assisting seniors. She once noticed an elderly woman pacing back and forth at the vestibule, unwilling to return to her seat when reminded. Liang stepped forward to ask what was wrong, and the elderly woman immediately poured out a string of rapid Cantonese. Her heavy accent and fast speech made it difficult for the railway attendant to fully understand, which in turn, made her even more anxious.
　　Liang gently took a step closer and said in her native tongue, "Don’t worry, take your time." Hearing someone who understood, the elderly woman breathed a sigh of relief and clutched Liang’s hand. She told Liang that it was her first solo ride, and that she was worried about missing her stop, which was why she stood at the door. Liang gently comforted the elderly woman and walked her back to her seat, assuring her that she would be reminded before her stop. The elderly woman’s anxiety gradually gave way to calm.
　　Besides her Cantonese ability, Liang’s command of English has also played a vital role in her shifts. Not only can she confidently handle inquiries and offer assistance for foreign passengers, but she has also successfully resolved disputes in English.
　　Not long ago, while making her rounds, Liang noticed a Chinese passenger in a heated dispute with a foreign passenger. She immediately stepped in. The Chinese passenger clutched her hand and said urgently, "He wants my seat, and we can’t communicate!" The foreign passenger, looking frustrated and at a loss, kept trying to explain himself. Right away, Liang spoke to him in English, checked his ticket, and quickly sorted out the misunderstanding.
　　It turned out that the foreign passenger, unfamiliar with Chinese, had confused the carriage number with the seat number and believed someone was in his seat. With Liang’s patient explanation, the penny finally dropped – both passengers realized that it had been a simple misunderstanding, shook hands and resolved the matter amicably.
　　Such incidents are far from uncommon in her work. From them, she has distilled her three-step method of dispute resolution: listen, empathise, guide. Now she has become more convinced that "language is only the medium; connection is what truly matters." Passengers may appreciate fluent speech, but what they truly need is respect and understanding.
　　This conviction only deepened through another mediation. At the time, a child’s wailing and some adults’ heated quarrels in the carriage drew her attention. When she approached, she saw a mother, brow furrowed, arguing with a passenger in front, who was venting his frustration in Cantonese. The standoff was intense.
　　Liang stepped between them, calming both while listening to their respective concerns. Exhausted from the long trip, the front-row passenger wanted to recline his seat to rest, upsetting the mother behind who feared it would crush her child. Both believed they were justified.
　　Having learned about the situation, Liang refrained from taking sides, but encouraged them to see each other’s perspective: a mother’s protective instincts are only natural; a weary traveler’s need for rest is perfectly understandable. Everyone has their struggles.
　　Noticing the weariness on the mother’s face, Liang offered to find her a different seat. Then she patiently explained to the front passenger in Cantonese the challenges of traveling solo with a toddler. In a quiet moment, she brought them warm water. Finally, the tension thawed with the warm water and kind words, and the dispute came to a peaceful close.
　　"This experience has only reinforced my belief that language and reason are just tools; what truly resolves conflicts is awakening the inherent kindness in people," Liang said.
　　So far, Liang has resolved over 30 disputes through her strong linguistic abilities and empathetic approach, making this Guangxi-Hong Kong train service a "safe corridor" for regional friendship.

　　Meticulousness and Powerful Protection
　　"While the requirements for Hong Kong-bound trains are indeed more stringent, it’s nothing we can’t handle." When it comes to her job, He Mengsi is confidence. The poise comes from her strict adherence to procedure and meticulous attention to detail. Though a recent addition to the railway police brigade, she is already taking charge on the Hong Kong-bound train.
　　Recalling her early days on duty, He admitted that she felt overwhelmed. "I ran through all the procedures countless times in my head, even dreamed about memorizing them." This exacting attitude set the tone for her work.
　　Before each shift, she checks every item on her duty belt, verifies the expiration dates of first-aid kit contents, ensures that her body-worn camera is fully charged, and runs a quick test recording. At pre-departure briefings, she notes down key points item by item and carefully cross-checks special passenger information... Where others see routine, she sees no room for error.
　　"Hong Kong-bound trains present particular challenges, and there’s no letting your guard down." He explains. She pays extra attention to details: patterns on clothes, accessory styles, luggage stickers, and text on phone cases... these seemingly common items might yield significant clues.
　　She likes to stay ahead of problems. During patrols, she nudges luggage clear of the aisle, explaining "It’s safer there. No one will trip." If a passenger’s mobile phone is too loud, she would suggest lowering the volume or using headphones. If she sees a running child, she would gently advise parents to keep an eye on the child, so as to prevent bumps or bother to others. Even similar-looking bags on overhead racks merit a second glance from her. "If two near-identical bags sit side by side, I would alert the owners to double-check and grab the right one before getting off," said He.
　　"Luggage placement and having a mobile phone on speaker are minor issues. But when I spot them, I prefer to intervene early, nipping potential conflicts in the bud before they escalate." That’s her philosophy.
　　This watchfulness extends to special passengers like seniors and children. Seeing an elderly person puzzling over their ticket, she will step forward and ask, "Which carriage are you heading for?" Then she will point them in the right direction and alert the crew to give them a heads-up before their stop. Seeing an unaccompanied minor, she will always ask if the family knows, sometimes calling the parents to verify. This extra vigilance keeps potential risks at bay.
　　On one patrol, He noticed two girls standing at the vestibule without adult supervision. She approached them. They told her they were traveling from Nanning to Foshan, where their mother would meet them at the exit. She examined their tickets, and the destination was indeed Foshan. Though everything checked out, something still nagged at her, so she requested the mother’s number and called.
　　But when she got through, the mother was actually waiting at Guangzhou South Station. It turned out that there had been a miscommunication, and the grandparents had mistakenly booked tickets to Foshan. She immediately coordinated with the conductor to secure tickets from Foshan to Guangzhou for the two girls, and then instructed the crew to keep a close eye on them at Foshan to prevent them from getting off by mistake. In the end, the girls were safely reunited with their mother at Guangzhou South Railway Station.
　　One extra question had averted a potential family separation. "Safety is no trivial matter. An extra glance, an extra question, an extra check - that is the highest duty we owe our passengers," reflected He.
　　This meticulousness came into full play during an emergency. On October 7, 2025, after the train arrived at Nanning East and passengers disembarked, He returned to the carriage and began her post-arrival sweep. She moved methodically, scanning overhead racks, beneath seats, and into corners. At the restroom, she verified the lock and confirmed no one remained inside.
　　When she moved to the vestibule between carriages 6 and 7, He spotted a woman in white, slumped against the door. Instantly at her side, she found the woman pale and barely conscious. Without hesitation, she alerted the conductor and summoned station staff to bring a first-aid kit for immediate assistance.
　　As they waited, Ms. Rong began to recover. Then He assisted her to a platform bench. "Thank you so much for going above and beyond, and for giving me the best help when I needed it the most," Ms. Rong said, insisting on making her own way out. Watching her disappear into the crowd, He felt the full weight of her role: "Every detail matters when passengers’ lives are at stake."
　　Heartwarming stories like these are routine for the West Kowloon Women’s Railway Police Team. According to their records, since 2024, the team has recovered 29 lost belongings and mediated six disputes.
　　From Nanning to West Kowloon, the railway bridges mountains and seas, carrying countless homeward bound travelers and their dreams, while the West Kowloon Women’s Railway Police Team serve as "guardians of the journey", safeguarding human connection and regional development. Together, they embody the bond between family and nation, painting a new chapter of shared prosperity.■
　　
　　（Translated by Zhao Siqi）
　　( Zhang Chengxian also contributed to this article )