Published on: 2026-07-02
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On July 2, “People’s Daily” online — July 1 marked the 20th anniversary of the full opening of traffic on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
The mainline, stretching 1956 km, connects the city of Xining in Qinghai Province with the city of Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region. 960 km of the route lies at an altitude of over 4000 meters above sea level, and 550 km passes through permafrost zones. The road holds several world records. The builders managed to solve three extremely challenging tasks – stabilizing the permafrost, operating in conditions of rarefied air, and preserving the fragile ecosystem. On the permafrost sections, trains run at a steady speed of 100 km/h, and the developed ground temperature regulation technologies, including thermal rods, surpass global counterparts.
Over 20 years, the railway has transported 104 million passengers and 824 million tons of cargo. Freight traffic between Xigazê and Qinghai increased from 361 thousand tons in 2006 to 8.31 million tons in 2025, with the total volume over the entire period exceeding 100 million tons. In 2025, Xigazê received more than 70 million tourists. Costs for exporting Tibetan medicinal products, as well as local agricultural and livestock products, have significantly decreased. Residents of roadside areas have gained new opportunities for earning income thanks to the railway, and over 4.5 million schoolchildren and students have used trains to travel for education over the 20 years.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway has also become a reliable protector of the environment. The total length of green plantings along the tracks has exceeded 1002 km, 33 crossings for wild animals have been equipped, and nearly 60 km of migration corridors have been created. The Kekexili station was relocated specifically so as not to impede the seasonal migration of Tibetan antelopes. Their population now exceeds 70,000 individuals. In the Sanjiangyuan (“Source of Three Rivers”) area, vegetation cover has increased from less than 20% to over 80%, and water quality consistently meets Class II standards and above.
Two decades on the road – The Qinghai-Tibet Railway has become not just a transport artery, but a symbol of rising prosperity, unity of peoples, and harmonious coexistence of humans with nature.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate account of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.