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| The ''']-] railway''', or '''Qingzang Railway''' ({{zh-stp| s=青藏铁路|t=青藏鐵路 |p=Qīngzàng Tiělù}}), is a ] that will connect ], ] to ], ] in the ]. The 815-] section from ], Qinghai to ], Qinghai opened to traffic in ]. The remaining 1,080-kilometre (670-mile) section is currently under construction from Golmud to ]. It includes the now completed 3,345-metre Yangbajain No. 1 tunnel which is 4,264 metres ] and located 80 km NW of the regional capital Lhasa. More than 960 kilometers, or over four-fifths of the railway, will be built at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, and over half of it will be laid on frozen earth. This railway will be the first railway that connects China proper and Tibet, which due to its altitude and terrain is the last province in China that has no railways. | |||
| ] | |||
| Thirty ] are to be built, among them Tanggula Mountain railway station, which at 5,067.88 m will be the world's highest (Cóndor station, at 4,786 m, on the Rio Mulatos-Potosí line, ], and La Galera at 4,781 m in ] being the next highest). | |||
| Rail-laying in Tibet was launched in both directions, towards Tanggula Mountain and Lhasa, from Anduo Railway Station on ] ]. On ] ], ] was laid on the railway's highest point, the ], which is ] above sea level. | |||
| When the railway construction that started on ] ] is complete (expected in late ]; signalling and track testing require another 6 to 12 months), it will be possible to travel from Lhasa to ] in 50 hours. The railway will later be extended to Zhangmu via ] (Xigaze) to the west and ] via ] (]) to the east. | |||
| ] are to provide 361 high-altitude passenger carriages with special enriched-oxygen and UV-protection systems, to be delivered between ] and ]. Of these, 53 will be luxury sleeper carriages for tourist service . When signalling and track testing is complete, trains travellling on this track in the frozen earth areas are expected to attain maximum speeds of 100 kilometers per hour. On the non-frozen earth areas, maximum speeds are expected to reach 120 kilometers per hour. | |||
| Bombardier Transportation has faced criticism from the western media and from their own shareholders for their involvement in the project. | |||
| The construction of the railway is part of the ] strategy, an attempt to develop the western provinces of China, which are much less developed than eastern China. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * , US Embassy report | |||
| * . ] news article (] ]) | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 21:48, 24 August 2005
The Qinghai-Tibet railway, or Qingzang Railway (simplified Chinese: 青藏铁路; traditional Chinese: 青藏鐵路; pinyin: Qīngzàng Tiělù), is a railway that will connect Xining, Qinghai Province to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China. The 815-kilometre section from Xining, Qinghai to Golmud, Qinghai opened to traffic in 1984. The remaining 1,080-kilometre (670-mile) section is currently under construction from Golmud to Lhasa. It includes the now completed 3,345-metre Yangbajain No. 1 tunnel which is 4,264 metres above sea level and located 80 km NW of the regional capital Lhasa. More than 960 kilometers, or over four-fifths of the railway, will be built at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, and over half of it will be laid on frozen earth. This railway will be the first railway that connects China proper and Tibet, which due to its altitude and terrain is the last province in China that has no railways.
Thirty railway stations are to be built, among them Tanggula Mountain railway station, which at 5,067.88 m will be the world's highest (Cóndor station, at 4,786 m, on the Rio Mulatos-Potosí line, Bolivia, and La Galera at 4,781 m in Peru being the next highest).
Rail-laying in Tibet was launched in both directions, towards Tanggula Mountain and Lhasa, from Anduo Railway Station on 22 June 2004. On 24 August 2005, rail track was laid on the railway's highest point, the Tanggula Mountain Pass, which is 5,072 meters above sea level.
When the railway construction that started on 29 June 2001 is complete (expected in late 2005; signalling and track testing require another 6 to 12 months), it will be possible to travel from Lhasa to Beijing in 50 hours. The railway will later be extended to Zhangmu via Shigatse (Xigaze) to the west and Dali via Nyingchi (Linzhi) to the east.
Bombardier Transportation are to provide 361 high-altitude passenger carriages with special enriched-oxygen and UV-protection systems, to be delivered between December 2005 and May 2006. Of these, 53 will be luxury sleeper carriages for tourist service . When signalling and track testing is complete, trains travellling on this track in the frozen earth areas are expected to attain maximum speeds of 100 kilometers per hour. On the non-frozen earth areas, maximum speeds are expected to reach 120 kilometers per hour.
Bombardier Transportation has faced criticism from the western media and from their own shareholders for their involvement in the project.
The construction of the railway is part of the China Western Development strategy, an attempt to develop the western provinces of China, which are much less developed than eastern China.
See also
External links
- Environmental Protection Along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, US Embassy report
- New height of world's railway born in Tibet. Xinhua news article (24 August 2005)