Adi Turdi is China's first high-speed train driver from the Uygur ethnic group. On Sunday, he also had a taste of the first high-speed train of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, from Urumqi to Hami.

Both Adi's parents work for Xinjiang's railway authorities. The 34-year-old said he grew up playing around real trains, so it is natural that he is living his dream by driving one of them.

Adi is one of the 25 high-speed Uygur, Kazakh and Han train drivers serving the new line. They received training in other high-speed railways and all of them earned their licenses last September.

"It's like driving an aircraft on the ground," Adi said. "I am so proud to operate trains equipped with advanced technology in my home."

Adi said he used to think that high-speed trains were "just fast". Now, he believes they change and improve lives.

"Many people now use high-speed trains for everyday transportation, like buses. They bring people closer together and can help fuel regional development."

The designed top speed of Xinjiang's high-speed railway is 250 km per hour, which means the train he drives is not the fastest in China. High-speed trains in the country are restricted to 300 km/h for safety reasons.

"Although I can't be the fastest train driver, I am determined be the best one," Adi said.

(China Daily USA 11/17/2014 page5)