Romance blossoms for train driver

This round-trip journey covering 616 km requires driving for seven to 12 hours on a single trip.

"Every time I go home, I feel tired, as drivers often have to stay up late. Usually, I spend my day off catching up on sleep to recover," Ma tells China Daily.

Due to this demanding schedule — working on the rails for three days followed by a one-day break — Ma used to believe that dating and marriage would be difficult. Like many fellow train drivers, he also found that loneliness came with the job.

However, you never know when Cupid will decide to shoot his arrow of love.

Interestingly, it was Ma's train — one of the many China-Europe freight trains that have played a pivotal role in boosting trades between China and Eurasia — that provided the young man with an unexpected opportunity to meet his destiny.