home - tibet

Tibet on track
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway

On July 1, the first train on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway left Beijing to head for Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, thus beginning a sophisticated means of travel to the Roof of the World. It took the train 48 hours to complete the journey from the Chinese capital to Lhasa.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway extends 1,956 km from Xining to Lhasa and is an engineering marvel. Not only is it the world’s longest railway built on a plateau but is also the world’s highest. Some 960 km of its tracks run 4,000 m above sea level. The highest section is 5,072 m above sea level, higher than any known rail track in the world. This makes it even higher than the Peruvian Railway in the Andes by some 200 m, once dubbed "the world’s most elevated rail tracks".

The more than 200,000 workers involved in laying the tracks had to cope with the thin air and low temperatures. The fact that no one had to lose his life despite the extreme working conditions is a feat in itself. Laying the tracks was made even more difficult by the presence of permafrost and slush along the route. This called for changes in design and construction while laying the tracks. Using science and modern technology, however, the permafrost has been made to support tracks on which run trains at 100 km an hour.

Construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway actually began in 1958. Under the first phase, construction of the railway linking Xining, the capital of Qinghai province, with Golmud was completed in 1984. Linking Golmud with Lhasa, under the second phase of the project, took four years, from June 2001 to October 2005.

The trains traveling on the world’s highest plateau come with oxygen supply systems as passengers are prone to high altitude sickness.

With the construction of the sophisticated railway line, Tibet is looking forward to seeing a big boost in tourism. According to the regional tourism administration, Tibet might be playing host to as many as 2.6 million visitors in 2006. In July alone, 118,000 tourists traveled to Tibet by rail. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway offers a cheap, safe and reliable means of transportation from major Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Xining, Chengdu and Guangzhou.

Before the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, buses, trucks and planes were the only means of transporting goods and people. The railway will now be carrying nearly three-fourths of all goods entering Tibet.
On the other hand, Nepal and India are also looking up to the railway to boost trade between China and the South Asian region. The extension of the railway, already on the pipeline till Shigatse, should bring them even closer.

CONTACT FOR TOUR ARRANGEMENTS TO TIBET

Access Nepal Travels & Tours
info@accessnepaltravels.com
Accor Tours & Adventure
info@trekkingteam.com
Adventure Karnali
karnali@topden.wlink.com.np
Adventure Silk Road
nepaltur@mos.com.np
Alps Adventure Treks & Expedition
ahimalaya@wlink.com.np
info@alpinehimalaya.com
Amazing Adventures
amazing@ntc.net.np
Atalante Mountaineering & Trekking
atalante@wlink.com.np
Dharma Adventures
info@DharmaAdventures.com
Discover Himalayan Treks
trekhimalaya@mail.com.np
Dolpa Treks
doltreks@mail.com.np
Eco Trek
ecotour@wlink.com.np
International Adventures Treks & Expeditions
treks@iate.wlink.com.np
Royal Mountain Travel
info@royalmt.com.np
Sunshine Lhasa Kathmandu Travels
cits@wlink.com.np
Tashi Delek Nepal Treks & Expeditions
tashidele@mail.com.np