The Qinghai-Tibet Railway One Year On

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world’s highest railroad, has been open to traffic for one year. Building the route necessitated conquering a series of thorny construction problems created by the harsh environment and terrain. It was consequently a huge challenge for the engineers and technicians involved. One year on, the two main questions that arise are: has the line withstood the test of active service? And what changes has it brought to Tibet’s capital, Lhasa?

High-tech Railway

The cutting-edge technology employed to keep the Qinghai-Tibet Railway running has dramatically changed the traditional image of the “railroad man.” Formerly workers on inspection details would traverse lines with pickaxes, manually removing snow and physically pulling railway switches. On the new Qinghai-Tibet line, electronic “eyes” and “ears” monitor the condition of the railway and the trains, instantly relaying the information to a central control room. Automatic thaw systems and switches are activated remotely and accomplish their tasks in the shortest possible time.

Chen Min, chief dispatcher of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, proudly points to a screen in one of the line’s many control rooms. “This monitors the railway’s heating system.” The display indicates the wind speed, temperature and snowfall around Tanggula Station at a glance. There are 32 stations on the Golmud to Lhasa section of the line, each equipped with heating systems that turn snow on the tracks to steam, allowing trains to run in blizzard conditions.

Severe cold and a lack of oxygen are the most distinguishing features of the high-altitude railway. In such extreme conditions, passenger safety is of paramount concern. “We need to make sure our equipment runs without a hitch, and be ready to deal with the possibility of multiple accidents,” says Chen. The line’s “guardian angel” is a massive video surveillance system comprising 1,110 monitors covering 1,956 kms of track. The Golmud to Lhasa section is watched particularly closely, with a monitor nearly every kilometer. There are also 52 gale sensors along the line. Between Golmud and Lhasa the weather is always blustery, while from Wudaoliang in Qinghai to Amdo in Tibet, gale-force winds prevail for an average of 150 days per year. With the help of the sensors, safe driving speeds are continually calculated, allowing drivers to adjust their speeds according to conditions.

The over-riding safety concern in building the railway, however, was its 550 km "permafrost zone." “After one year’s operation, the permafrost issue is firmly under control,” Chen confidently states. “Each engine has an automatic detector, and if there is any change in the roadbed, we don't allow a passage.” In the first year of operation, the railroad bed has remained stable, the largest fluctuation less than 5 mm. Variations become a safety issue only when they exceed 20 mm.

The Changing Face of Tibet

The railway’s opening up of such a remote region has brought immense changes to Tibet. As well as bringing many more people to Lhasa, the railway now allows locals much easier access to the outside world. The retired elder Paljor, a former employee of the Tibet Cement Plant, has only ever left Tibet twice by air, but is now planning a trip to Beijing by train.

The biggest changes, however, have been wrought by a massive increase in economic activity. During the period 2000 to 2005, RMB 5.1 billion in investments flowed into Tibet, but on the railway’s completion it recouped RMB 4 billion in earnings during 2006 alone. This income can be mainly attributed to increased mining, tourism, building materials, business, trade, hotel and restaurant activities.

The railway is also a source of diversification as regards Tibet’s employment and industry. Prior to its completion, farming was the only means locals had to a living. Last spring, the villagers of Samre in Naiqung Town, Lhasa pooled RMB 900,000 to set up the Zhengtong Logistics Co., Ltd, which has since reached agreement with the China National Chemical Cooperation on transporting 10,000 tons of lead-gold powder the 180 km distance from Rinbung County to Lhasa West Railway Station.

There are already six to seven logistics companies around Lhasa West Railway Station, as well as several information services. More than a dozen new restaurants have also opened in Samre Village. These developments indicate the general shift from Tibet’s traditional “closed-loop economy” to a multi-faceted market economy. In other words, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has enabled Tibet to become an active part of the national marketplace.

An example of the diversity that now characterizes Tibet’s economy is the exploitation of the spring water found in the clear streams around the Nyaiqentanglha Mountains. The mysterious “5100” glacier mineral water is rich in minerals, but previously high transport costs prevented commercial utilization of this natural resource. The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway enables its sale throughout the country.

Despite all the changes wrought by the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, its main aim, as part of a broader vision, is realization of the age-old dream of a transport bridgehead over “the Roof of the World.” The Ministry of Railways has invested RMB 1.5 billion in constructing a large-scale logistics center in Nagqu, which in conjunction with the Lhasa-Xigaze-Nyingchi feeder railway line, will create a “continental bridge” linking East Asia and South Asia.