Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE WORLD'S HIGHEST TRAIN RIDE
There's no doubt the new Qīnghǎi-Tibet train line is an engineering marvel. Topping out
at 5072m, it is the world's highest railway, snatching the title from a Peruvian line. The
statistics speak for themselves: 86% of the line is above 4000m, and half the track lies
on permafrost, requiring a cooling system of pipes driven into the ground to keep it frozen
year-round to avoid a rail-buckling summer thaw. Construction of the line involved build-
ing 160km of bridges and elevated track, seven tunnels (including the world's highest)
and 24 hyperbaric chambers, the latter to treat altitude-sick workers.
Aside from environmental concerns, Tibetans are deeply worried about the cultural
and political impact of the train. The trains unload thousands of Chinese tourists and im-
migrants into Lhasa every day, and connecting China's rail network to the only province in
China lacking a rail link has forged Tibet and China in an iron grip. A similar thing
happened with the 1999 railway line to Kashgar in Xīnjiāng.
The authorities stress the economic benefits of the line: highly subsidised, it has de-
creased transport costs for imports by up to 75%. But Tibetans remain economically
marginalised. More than 90% of the 100,000 workers employed to build the line came
from other provinces and few, if any, Tibetan staff work on the trains. The US$4.1 billion
cost of building the line is greater than the amount Běijīng has spent on hospitals and
schools in Tibet over the last 50 years.
As ambitious as the current line is, connecting Lhasa with the rest of China was only
the beginning. An extension to Shigaste opened in 2014, and plans are in place to contin-
ue this line with routes to the Nepal border and west to the India and Bhutan borders by
2020. Another line will connect Golmud to Dūnhuáng in Gānsù Province.
PRACTICALITIES
At the time of writing, foreigners needed a TTB permit to buy a ticket and board the train.
Most travellers ask the same tour agency handling their TTB permits to secure tickets.
However, be aware that tickets can be purchased only 10 to 20 days in advance (fewer dur-
ing major long holidays) and there is no guarantee of getting one. If you are lucky enough
you might have to pay a premium because agencies must often buy through scalpers.
The lack of certainty around the train makes it difficult to coordinate plans so it's a good
idea to also have a flight ticket booked (especially in summer) just in case you do not get
train tickets. Make sure you are aware of the airline's flight cancellation policy.
