First Bullet Train in Tibet

The bullet train in Tibet connected Lhasa and the city of Nyingchi. China put it on rails to reduce the way from Chengdu to Lhasa.

What’s new?

This year, in late June, a more than four hundred kilometers long railway connecting Tibet’s capital Lhasa and Nyingchi City was opened. The new line operates within the Sichuan-Tibet Railway. It helped to lessen the time of the ride from Chengdu to Lhasa significantly. The Lhasa-Nyingchi line is the first powered by electricity in this region. Its construction cost is more than 5.5 billion US dollars.

Construction

The assembly of a rail in Tibet is not an easy task.  This path took more than 5 years to complete. Most of it is located at an altitude of more than three thousand meters. This exact line contains numerous tunnels and more than a hundred bridges.

Peculiarities

The trains that operate high in the mountains are fitted with automatic systems that supply passengers with a steady oxygen level.

They also have a special window glass that helps to survive the high UV levels that are typical in this area.  The train’s top speed is 160 kph, which is slower than usual Chinese lines.

Check for more information on the first bullet train in Tibet here.