Qinghai–Tibet Railway

Said in the West due to the destination station Lhasa Railway, also Tibet railway in China Qinghai -Tibet railway, or Qinghai-Tibet railway single-track, partly electrified railway in the People's Republic of China connects Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The total route is about 1956 km. It has several world records: With an apex of 5,072 meters it is the highest railroad in the world (255 meters higher than the Peruvian Southern Railway ). At her also be the highest railway station in the world ( Tanggula, 5,068 m) and the highest tunnel in the world ( 4,905 m). The Lhasa railway is one of the largest railway construction projects that were completed in the 21st century.

History

The track was built in two main sections, which now differ also in their state of development: The section Xining - Golmud - Nanshankou went to 1984 into operation. The technically more complex section Nanshankou - Lhasa (1100 miles) through the high mountains was structurally completed in October 2005. The trial operation began early February 2006, the official opening move left Beijing on 1 July 2006, the 85th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP), and reached Lhasa on July 3, 2006. Since August 2006, the section is traversed runs regularly.

Route

Route

The total distance of the Lhasa train starts in Xining, Golmud, however, is often referred to as the starting point because the high mountain range of consuming ansetzte in the south of Golmud located Nanshankou. The route leads to the Kunlun Pass through the small towns Budongquan, Wudaoliang, Tuotuoheyan (municipality Tanggulashan ) to 5,072 meters high Tanggula Pass. In this apex at the same time runs the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region. The highest tunnel in the world lies with the pass and mountain peaks Fenghuo Shan ( 5262 m), after the first third of the section between the Kunlun Shan and Tanggula Pass, at 4,905 meters above sea level. The route after the Tanggula pass on through the Tibetan plateau until it descends into the valley of the river after Damxung Doilung Qu and ends in Lhasa.

Around 960 km of track between Golmud and Lhasa run at altitudes of more than 4000 meters. Here the trains are transported by diesel locomotives. The section between Golmud and Xining is electrified it.

Streckenbau

Technically, particularly the upper portion of the path between Golmud and Lhasa one oddity: A quarter of the track was built on permafrost. This soil thawed at the surface in summer irregularly, without being stabilized by vegetation. The water can not seep into the frozen ground at depth to the surface a sludge layer forms in which the superstructure would sink. For this reason, various techniques have been developed to prevent the thawing of:

In critical sections of steel pipes were cut in the ground, filled with ammonia. They protrude about three feet out from the soil. In the area of the permafrost, the air temperature is well below freezing in the summer. The liquid ammonia evaporates at the bottom of the tube, thereby withdrawing the permafrost energy - ie heat - and keeping it cool. The ammonia vapor rises into the tube and are at the upper end of its heat to the atmosphere, this is liquefied again and flows downward. 10,000 of such cooling rods were inserted into the superstructure of the track. Another way to stabilize the track, is a special form of the superstructure: The three -meter-high embankment was constructed of rough-hewn, head-sized rocks that were stacked without mortar above the other. The duration of wind on the plateau blows through the cracks and keeps the soil cold. However, the permafrost is expected to decline due to global warming in the next 50 years by a third.

The Chinese Ministry of Railways already declared a month after the opening of the line that the permafrost falling under the railway line and the first cracks show what is destabilizing the web in places. Also, the concrete constructions show some cracks. These problems seem to be rectified because of regularly scheduled service is operated since 2006 without any major incidents or disruptions at the speed limit. Trains run in areas with frozen ground 100 km / h This is the world's highest speed, the trains run on frozen upland soil. On road sections without permafrost 120 km / h are allowed.

Other hazards were based on shifting sand dunes and yak herds. Against the latter barriers were laid fieldstone at risk points over a large area, the reluctant and voluntary never exceed the animals. Incidentally, the distance outside of the sections that were built as bridges, tunnels or elevated, fully fenced.

The route is guarded from the border of the Tibet Autonomous Region to Lhasa through military means. About every two kilometers, there is a post, housed in the rule of underpasses or bridges, some in tents, to a lesser extent in solid wax houses.

Route data Golmud - Lhasa

Route extensions

Although the profitability of the Lhasa train is doubted, began on 26 September 2010, the construction of the 253- kilometer route from Lhasa to the second largest Tibetan town of Shigatse. Due to the difficult terrain conditions will run 155 km on bridges or in tunnels. The route is traced out for 120 km / h construction costs should amount to 13.3 billion yuan and the operation are already being taken in 2017.

In addition, there is another route from the south-east China to Lhasa and an extension to the east of Lhasa to Nyingchi in planning. Also a route to Yadong on the Sino-Indian border, and an extension to Nepal are planned.

Traffic

Drive both passenger trains and freight trains in close succession on the Lhasa railway. As a mainline locomotive is used exclusively on the upper portion, the non-electrified NJ2 series.

Passenger trains in all the major centers of China, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. They consist (originally three, but this was abandoned) of two locomotives with 16 cars of a particular type for Tibet railway. Trains can accommodate 930 travelers each. They usually result in each sleeping car, 1st class ( " Soft Sleeper " ), a dining car and a van. The other carriages consist almost equally of sleeping and sitting cars 2nd class. An electronic display in the car displays the current altitude and the speed of the train. This system however, is not always active, as well as the on-board video program. Per car, there are three sinks in the passage area and two toilets. The equipment of the car is otherwise different comfortable:

  • " Soft Sleeper ": four- bed compartment (two bunk beds) with variable oxygen nozzle at one end of the bed, reading lamp and a small screen at the other end. These pillows, bed linen, central table and cabin door.
  • "Hard Sleeper ": Six - bed compartment ( two three bunk beds) with narrower beds and outlets just across the hall.
  • "Seat ": seats in the assembly 2 3.

Due to the risk of altitude sickness have all the cars systems to supply oxygen for travelers. From a height of about 3,000 meters, the system will turn on and provide additional air through nozzles in the hallway and the compartments oxygen in the car. According to the official statement, the trains are accompanied by medical personnel. Each passenger must sign a form that he is physically healthy.

The journey from Golmud to Lhasa takes fourteen ( driving time twelve) hours. From Beijing, the train takes 43 hours. Between Golmud and Lhasa, the train stops at several stations.

Economic Importance

The Lhasa railway was used by 5.95 million passengers since its opening on 1 July 2006 to 31 December 2007. Thus, traveled in 2007 43% of all tourists on the Lhasa railway in Tibet Autonomous Region a. The Lhasa railway tourism has helped to an increase of 60.4 % in 2007. In freight transport about 75 % of all goods are transported to and from Tibet over the Lhasa railway.

In China, at a cost of 3.3 billion euros ( 32.4 billion Chinese yuan renminbi, CNY ) is built railway, considered as a project of great national importance, comparable only to the Great Wall or the Three Gorges Dam. Thanks to the train to Tibet's mineral resources are more easily transported away and let raw materials such as coal, steel and construction material transport at a fraction of the cost to Tibet.

The criticism also Tsering Woeser by, especially states, for the Tibetan people bring the train another, wanted by the Communist Party of China's engagement in their own culture and increasing political scrutiny by China.Es but also with an increase in immigration expected from the rest of China, which constitutes an undesirable intervention for the people of Tibet. Some human rights organizations also expect the use of the railway for military purposes since the time of transport for soldiers from Golmud to Lhasa is shortened.

These fears faces that immigration already been done with a very well-developed and comparatively cheap bus transport, the logistics of the military, however, relies on effective and flexible truck transport on the road.

The web is additionally but also provide crucial impetus for the development of the tourism industry. In the Autonomous Region of Tibet today live than 30,000 Tibetans from tourism. By today's planning this number is expected to multiply in the coming years. This is part of the strategy of Tibet, to relieve the livestock partly heavily loaded high steppes through the creation of new jobs for ranchers.

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