The Qinghai-Tibet Railway Project

The Qingzang railway or Qinghai–Tibet Railway is a high-altitude railway that connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in China.

The total length of Qingzang railway is 1,956 km. Construction of the 815km section between Xining, the capital city of Qinghai Province and Golmud was completed by 1984. The 1,142 km section between Golmud and Lhasa was inaugurated on 1 July 2006. The first two passenger trains were ‘Qing 1' (Q1) from Golmud to Lhasa, and ‘Zang 2' (J2) from Lhasa to Golmud.

This railway is the first to connect other provinces in China with the Tibet Autonomous Region, which is due to Tibet's altitude and terrain. Testing of the line and equipment started on 1 May 2006. Trains run from Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xining and Lanzhou.

Basic Information

English Name	Qinghai - Tibet Railway
Chinese Name	青藏铁路
Covered Regions	Qinghai, Tibet
Geography	Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Climate	Highland Climate
Main Stations	Xining Station, Golmud Station, Lhasa Station
Length	1956km
Running Time	Around 21 hours

► Tanggula Pass - at 5,072m (16,640 feet) above sea level the world's highest rail track.

► The 1,338 m Fenghuoshan Tunnel - the highest rail tunnel in the world, at 4,905m above sea level.

► The 3,345-meter Yangbajing Tunnel - the longest tunnel on the line. It is 4,264m above sea level, 80km northwest of Lhasa.

► More than 960km, or over 80% of the Golmud-Lhasa section, is at an altitude of more than 4,000m.

► There are 675 bridges, totaling 159.88 km, and over half the length of the railway is laid on permafrost.

► In the Golmud to Lhasa part of the line, 45 stations are open, 38 of which are unstaffed, monitored in the control center in Xining. 13 more stations are planned.

Railway Annual

1956	An investigation & design project by Ministry of Railways between Lanzhou and Lhasa
1973	Chairmen Mao signed to speed up the building of Qinghai-Tibet Railway
1984	Xining-Golmud Part Railway was open to traffic
1994	Another proposal to speed up the building of Qinghai-Tibet Railway
1995-2000	A series of discussion on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway project
2001	The foundation stone laying ceremony of Golmud and Lhasa part railway opened
2002-2006	The main construction of the railway and finally launched on July 1, 2006
2014 Aug	Lhasa-Shigatse Railway was open to traffic

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The Qinghai-Tibet Railway Project

Basic Information

Railway Annual

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