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SCMP

This article was originally published on July 2, 2006
‘Sky trains’ begin first run to roof of the world
by Shi Jiangtao
The first train from Beijing to Lhasa on the world’s highest railway pulled out of the West Railway Station at 9.30pm, packed with 600 excited passengers and 100 journalists on what some described as a hotel on wheels.
Trains earlier left from Golmud and Chengdu.
For Lhasa student Bianba, it meant more opportunities to return home to see family.
“It’s much cheaper to go home by train,” said the 22-year-old, who has lived in the capital for 11 years but has returned home only twice.
A ticket for a hard seat costs 389 yuan, while a bottom bunk bed in hard sleeper costs 813 yuan and a soft sleeper 1,262 yuan. An air ticket to Tibet from Beijing costs more than 2,500 yuan.
Aboard, a distinct ethnic culture is immediately clear, with upholstery featuring the auspicious Tibetan colours of yellow and red.
Apart from air-conditioned carriages, the train to Tibet – which covers more than 4,000km and reaches a high point of 5,068 metres above sea level – has state-of- the-art technology.
Carriages, made by Canadian transportation giant Bombardier, provide enriched oxygen and window filters to protect passengers from ultraviolet radiation.
According to railway authorities, there are two air supply systems to ensure safety and minimise the impact of acute high-altitude sickness.
A “permeated oxygen supply” is provided when the train reaches 3,000 metres above sea level, along with emergency oxygen supplies for those who need it.
The train, which will pass through areas on the Tibetan plateau with the most fragile ecosystem on Earth, has several features to ensure the environment is protect-ed, such as sealed windows to prevent littering and a centralised waste-treatment system.
Train conductor Gu Xingfu said he was confident their environmental protection measures would be effective.
“I’m very proud and excited, but I feel a little nervous because it is such an important task entrusted by the leading authorities,” said Mr Gu, who was selected from 253 other workers for the inaugural journey.
The train has 15 carriages: four hard-seat carriages, eight hard sleepers, two soft sleepers, and a restaurant car.
The restaurant serves Sichuan and Tibetan dishes, including exotic fare such as braised yak meat.
Compared with regular Chinese passenger trains, the basic coach on the Beijing-Tibet train are more spacious, with comfortable upholstery and well-appointed lounges. There are three seats on one side of the aisle and two on the other.
Soft sleepers are the most luxurious, with two double-tier bunk beds to a compartment.
Electricity sockets and LCD television systems are provided for each bed.
According to railway staff on the train, it is a basically a non-smoking line, with smoking allowed only in limited areas and strictly prohibited during the Golmud-Lhasa section.


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The first trains on a rail route connecting China’s capital to the Tibetan Plateau began their journey 20 years ago today


The first trains on a rail route connecting China’s capital to the Tibetan Plateau began their journey 20 years ago today.


Tibet

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The first trains on a rail route connecting China’s capital to the Tibetan Plateau began their journey 20 years ago today

‘Sky trains’ begin first run to roof of the world

The first trains on a rail route connecting China’s capital to the Tibetan Plateau began their journey 20 years ago today