The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the highest railway in the world, is expected to reach Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, this year, Guangming Daily reported Wednesday.

Workers have laid tracks on 743 kilometers, 67 percent of the total length. Work on two thirds of the key projects on the railway line has been completed. Its construction has cost 19.8 billion yuan (2.3 billion US dollars), according to China's Railway Ministry.

The Railway has extended its way into Gulu Town in Nagqu County in northern Tibet, the last stop before it reaches Lhasa. The railway line will begin a trial operation on July 1, 2006.

The 1,142-km Qinghai-Tibet Railway from Golmud in Qinghai Province to Lhasa is the most elevated rail route in the world, reaching an altitude of up to 5,072 meters. The central government of China decided to build the railway in 2001, allocating 26.2 billion yuan (3.1 billion dollars) for this project in western China.

To protect the natural environment and rare animal and plant species in the region, China has invested 2 billion yuan (240 million dollars), or eight percent of the total construction cost, in building environmentally-friendly projects along the railway line.