 |
 |
 |
|
Backgrounder and facts about the Qinghai-Tibet Railway |
 |
| Premier Zhu Rongji laid foundation for the Qinghai-Tibet Railway |
Covering an area of more than 1.2 million square kilometers or about one eighth of Chinese territory, Tibet Autonomous Region is China's only administrative division of province level that doesn't have an inch of railway. For decades inadequate transportation facilities have restricted its economic development, as it is only accessible by highway or air transportation. To develop and catch up with other areas of China, Tibet must have a railway.
In 2000, after intensive feasibility study��a report on constructing the Qinghai-Tibet Railway was presented to President Jiang Zemin.
President Jiang pointed out that construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway would benefit the development of Tibet's communications and tourism, and promote economic and cultural exchanges between Tibet and the inlands. He said this decision must be taken and expedited as China enters the new century.
On June 29, 2001, construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway lifted curtain at Golmud, Qinghai Province. The project will take six years, at a total investment of 26.2 billion yuan (USD 3.17 billion). Thirty stations will be built along the railway. Upon completion it will be possible for passengers to arrive in Beijing within 48 hours by train. Sprawling on the "roof of the world ", the Qinghai-Tibet Railway boast a maximum altitude of 5,070 meters, which makes it the highest railway in the world.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway is a project unequaled in terms of engineering cost, project duration, and transportation capacity so far. There are unparalleled difficulties to address regarding terrain and environmental protection for the constructors. Out of the 1,142 kilometers of railway, 960 kilometers are more than 4,000 meters above sea level and 550 kilometers are in areas of frozen earth. How to build a roadbed on the frozen earth of the plateau becomes the essential problem for the project.
 |
 |
| Construction site of the railway | First locomotive in history of Tibet |
Overcoming the hidden perils of frozen earth
After extensive experiments and collaborate efforts with different departments, Zhang Luxin, leader of a group of experts from the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Construction General Headquarters, and doctorate supervisor at the Cold and Arid Area Environment and Engineering Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences came up with the slab-stone ventilation roadbed, a method most widely applied on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway at present. A one-meter-thick slab-stone layer keeps the rail a safe distance from the frozen earth. In warm seasons, the heat that descends and passes through crevices between the slab-stones dissipates more readily. In cold seasons, the crevices accelerate the flow of cold air down, thus preserving the frozen earth. This invention constitutes a major contribution by a Chinese scientist to cryopedological research.
At the same time of building the railway, the Chinese government attaches great importance to ecological protection work on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.
Ecological protection a crucial task
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is habitat of a wide variety of unique flora and endangered fauna. Construction of the railway will inevitably affect their living environment, but Chinese scientists have tried their best to keep this impact to a minimum.
An environmental impact evaluation report, a prerequisite for construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has been compiled prior to the construction. Hundreds of millions of yuan are to be invested in environmental protection when laying the railway -- a precedent in the history of Chinese railway construction, says Ran Li, chief engineer of the No. 1 Prospecting and Designing Institute of the Ministry of Railways.
|
What will the railway bring to Tibet? |
"The Qinghai-Tibet railway puts an end to Tibet's complete isolation, and construction of the railway will bring Tibet into modern civilization. The railway will enable Tibet to develop in leaps and bounds. The old saying 'It is easier to go abroad than enter Tibet' will soon be a myth," said Losang Gyaincain, mayor of Lhasa City.
According to experts, the railway will accelerate the blending of Tibet's plateau economy with that of the inland, and promote Tibet's products on the national and global markets. Tibet's mining, green drinks, medicine, agricultural and livestock products and ethnic handicrafts will all benefit from the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
The railway will also enhance development of the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai Province. It has already prompted the construction and development of large and medium-sized projects, such as the Qinghai Potash Fertilizer Plant and the Xitieshan Lead-Zinc Mine, etc. More than 85 percent of materials going to Tibet need to be transported via Golmud, so the Qinghai-Tibet Railway will greatly improve Qinghai and Tibet's comprehensive transport capability.
In addition, the railway opens a new route for tours of Tibet, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world nowadays. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway will provide a much cheaper means of transportation for tourists, and passengers aboard a train can enjoy the spectacular scenery en route, as they gradually adapt to the plateau climate and altitude. It is certain that construction of the railway will bring considerable benefits to Tibet's tourism industry, says Zhang Wansheng, director of the Tourism Administration of Tibet.
By People's Daily Online
English home
