The soldiers of the subway

• Source: Global Times
• [09:58 September 08 2010]
• Comments

Metro Line 2 drivers conduct their morning drill at 7 am at People's Square station. Photos: Cai Xianmin

By Qiu Chen

At four o'clock in the afternoon, at People's Square station on the subway Line 2 platform, 25 men stand in military formation. They straighten their arms and point left and right while they shout slogans in loud and clear synchronization, "All doors are safely closed!" "All clear on the monitor!" "The signal is working fine!"

All 700 drivers employed by the Shanghai No.2 Metro Operation Company are required to practice these exercises every day. However, these so-called "exercises" are not for fitness, but to train their minds to focus on small details essential in their daily work. The Shanghai No.2 Metro Operation Company is one of the four metro companies in Shanghai and is in charge of lines 2, 11 and 13.

If they were wearing green military uniforms instead of pink metro uniforms, these drivers would easily be mistaken for soldiers conducting military exercises. In fact 20 percent of new employees hired last year were ex-military, and in the last eight months 235 former soldiers were hired. With their composure, courage, discipline and sense of responsibility these ex-soldiers were hired to make Shanghai's metro run safer and smoother.

"For metro drivers, every mistake, no matter how small, can lead to catastrophe. Therefore, they must remain alert and keep calm when facing an emergency. These are exactly the qualities a good soldier possesses," said Chen Kuang, the Human Resource manager of Shanghai No.2 Metro Operation Company. "Also, they will act as role models for other drivers," he added.

Best of the best

The idea of hiring ex-military personnel first occurred to Chen when a former employee came back to the company after serving two years of military service. Chen along with other staff were very surprised by his new found sense of discipline and attention to detail. "He just seemed much more capable," said Chen.

At the same time, the company was looking to expand, which required them to increase their staff from 1,400 to 3,000 in less than one year. "3,000 soldiers retired last year in Shanghai. It just sounded like the right thing to do," Chen said.

Although the company had employed ex-military personnel before, it had never specifically targeted them for employment. However, from the end of 2009 to July this year, the company conducted seven large-scale recruitment drives targeting former military men and over 2,500 were interviewed.

To find the best drivers, the company sifted through the applicants very carefully. "Not everyone with military experience is qualified. We are looking for people with stable personalities," Chen said. Chen told the Global Times that he once rejected an applicant who continued to shake his legs throughout the whole interview. "Though his experience was flawless, his habit implied some instability. It could be hard for him to focus or there could be other issues," Chen said. After checking the applicants' references, he found that the applicant did have some emotional problems. Ultimately, 235 former-soldiers were hired from the army, air force and navy. The majority of new employees are in their early 20s, and have at least a junior college degree. "Most of them are now being trained and around 90 percent of these former soldiers will become metro drivers," Chen said.

Shanghai No. 1 Metro Operation Company, which is in charge of lines 1, 5, 9, and 10, has also recruited from the military. So far they have hired around 118 former military personnel.  

Just like the military

As for the ex-military personnel, they seem to enjoy their job which has a lot in common with their former lives in the military. Huang Yong, who served in the navy for two years before he joined the metro company, said, "As a soldier, I was responsible for the safety of the country and its citizens; now as a metro driver, I am responsible for the safety of the passengers."

Jin Lilai, a former sentry pointed out that teamwork is of great significance for both jobs. "If one sentry made any mistakes, it would affect other posts. Similarly, if a train was delayed due to a driver's negligence, it would cause trouble for other trains using the same track." This new breed of drivers also seem to have a higher tolerance for working in difficult circumstances after their time in the military.

"They show great endurance and mental stability," Zhang Mengrong, who heads a team of 64 drivers, 12 of whom have served in the military. "In August the air conditioner was malfunctioning for a few days, which made the train feel like an oven or a sauna. Some drivers kept complaining, and others became irritable, but the ex-military men remained calm and did not complain." Zhang, who has been a subway driver since 1999, added, "The less sensitive they are to outside distractions and inconveniences, the easier it is for them to focus on the job at hand and complete their tasks."