Five Years of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Today marks the 5th anniversary of opening of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, high-altitude railway that connects Xining, the provincial capital of Qinghai, and Lhasa. The railway is the first to connect the Tibet Autonomous Region to any other province. Due to its altitude and terrain, Tibet is the last province-level entity in China to have a conventional railway. For decades, transportation there has relied on roads.

Construction of the 2000km-long railway was complex and highly demanding for those involved. They confronted a range of challenges including severe cold, a lack of oxygen because of the altitude and the fragile ecology which surrounded the construction work.

Since it opened to the public on July 1st, 2006, the Qinghai-Tibet railway has been operating safely and efficiently for 5 years. It has carried millions of people and millions of tons of goods in and out of Tibet.

With more information, here is our reporter He Fei.

"The scenery along the rail track is beautiful. We're all retired. Although we were a bit afraid of the high altitude, taking the train to Tibet has fulfilled one of our dreams."

"In the 1990s, when I came back to Lhasa from University in Sichuan, it took me about 3 days and nights. I had to take several different trains to Golmud and then the long-distance bus for a day and night to Lhasa. Now it is much easier and the train is far more comfortable than before! Along the rail route from Lhasa to Golmud, there is so much beautiful scenery - the lakes, snow-capped mountains and Tibetan antelopes. It is very beautiful. Although I'm a Tibetan, when I see this beautiful scenery, I feel excited as well."

The ticket desk is always one of the busiest places at Lhasa Railway Station. Travelers, migrant workers and local Tibetans - everbody prefers to take the train as it is safe and more economic than airplanes.

Wang Jianhua is the chief of the Lhasa Railway Station.

"The Qinghai-Tibet railway has been in safe operation for the past five years and has carried 7.5 million person-trips and 7.5 million tons of goods. For the passenger carriage, we have 7 destinations from Lhasa including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou and Xining, which cover almost all important transportation hubs across the country. The same is true for cargo transportation."

Wang says that the Qinghai-Tibet railway has adopted the most advanced operational system in China and many parts of the railway are under automatic remote control rather than the manpower. From Golmud to Lhasa, 38 of the 45 stations are unstaffed, monitored by the control center in Xining, Qinghai province.

The special designed trains have also stood the test of time. Its sealed carriages, oxygen supply technique and environmentally-friendly waste treatments have all proved to be practical.

Head of the Lhasa Railway Station Wang Jianhua tells us that now, in the peak season, the stations runs five pairs of passenger trains and five to seven pairs of freight trains each day leaving from and arriving in Lhasa.

He says the schedule of passenger trains is intricately designed.

"Usually the trains leave Lhasa or Golmud in the morning. The most beautiful sceneries of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau are along the section between Lhasa to Golmud. Therefore, to ensure all our passengers enjoy the Tibetan antelopes, the Qiangtang grassland and the Tanggula Mountain, we have scheduled the running times during the day time."

As well as the considerate operational schedule, the Qinghai-Tibet railway also has its special customer services, especially in the field of medical care. Each passenger is required to fill in a health declaration form before boarding to ensure a safety trip.

Wang says the railway link has greatly boosted the economy of Tibet, bringing in goods and investments as well as new thoughts.

The railway will be extended to Shigatse to the west of Lhasa and Nyingchi to the east. Wang says when the railway network takes shape in Tibet, the economic benefits for both railways and the region as a whole will grow in leaps and bounds.

For CRI, I'm He Fei from Lhasa.