Building of Qinghai-Tibet Railway to Begin This Year

The second phase of the Qinghai- Tibet Railway Project is expected to be launched this year, according to experts responsible for measuring and designing the world's highest and longest plateau railway.

The existing section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, 815 km in length, spans from Xining, the provincial capital of Qinghai, to Golmud City, in the western part of Qinghai.

In the second phase of the project, a 1,118-km-long section will be built between Golmud and Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The section of the railway located in Tibet will be 554 km, which is to end the history of having no railway operation in this southwest China autonomous region.

Of the new section, 965 km will be located in areas at altitudes of 4,000 m and above the sea level. The highest railway of the section will be 5,072 m.

The project is expected to be completed in six years.

For decades, Chinese scientists have been studying ways to deal with problems in building railways in Tibet, such as the high altitude, cold temperatures, anoxia and permanent frozen earth.

The problems have now been initially resolved, which is expected to make the Qinghai-Tibet Railway a model for other countries with similar problems, according to the experts.

Thanks to the efforts made by the central and local governments, Tibet have built up a highway and aerial links with the rest of the country. The completion of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway will add a new choice for travelers and shipping services.

Date:Apr.24th.2001
Peopledaily