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The Qinghai to Tibet railway, starting in Xining, the capital of Qinghai province, and ending in Lhasa, began full operation from July1.2006. It symbolizes Tibet's historical inaccessibility via railway. The total distance from Lhasa to Xining by railway is 1,956 kilometers, and it is the world's highest railway extending for the longest distance through a plateau of permanent frost.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway is divided into two sections: Xining-Golmud and Golmud-Lhasa. The first section of the railway is 814 kilometers in total, which was built in 1979 and started to operate in July in 1984. The other section of this railway is totally 1,142 kilometers, competed on October 12th, 2005. A 960-kilometer journey of the Golmud-Lhasa section runs more than 4,000 meters above sea level. Its highest point meets the Tanggula Mountain Pass at 5,072 meters above sea level. The geological conditions along the rail track are rugged, including a 550-kilometer frozen-earth region.
The 25T series train is designed for a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour, even when running through the highest point on the Tanggula Mountain, the speed of the train can reach 80 kilometers per hour. Two freight trains a day will also run on the line, mostly taking agricultural products and handicrafts out of Lhasa and bringing food, construction materials and other goods in from the rest of China.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway starts in Xining, the capital of Qinghai province, and ends in Lhasa. Construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway was completed last October, and China has set the timetables for the first three pairs of trains from five cities to Lhasa along the world's highest Qinghai-Tibet railway which is due to open for trial operations on July 1, 2006.
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