Occupational stress is a prevalent issue among railway workers in China, who hold a highrisk
profession due to the long construction period and the non-stop nature of railway operations. The
psychological well-being of these workers directly affects the quality of railway services. To investigate
the relationship between occupational stress, professional identification, and psychological capital
among 1709 railway workers, including contact wire workers, power workers, distribution duty officers,
operation car drivers, and management personnel, a questionnaire survey was conducted using SPSS
25.0 statistical software to analyze the data using correlation analysis, variance analysis, and regression
analysis. The results indicated that male railway workers have significantly higher vocational and
physical strain reactions than female workers. Furthermore, employees with shorter work experience
have significantly higher vocational strain reactions than those with longer work experience. The strain
reactions of railway workers were negatively correlated with psychological capital and professional
identification. Psychological capital was positively correlated with professional identification, which
played a partial mediating role in the relationship between strain reactions and the optimism and hope
dimensions of psychological capital. In conclusion, occupational stress is a significant risk factor for
strain reactions, while professional identification and psychological capital are important protective
factors. Strain reactions can negatively predict the optimism and hope aspects of psychological capital.
Professional identification plays a partial mediating role between strain reactions and optimism and hope,
and improving employee professional identification can enhance their mental and physical health.