QINGHAI-TIBET RAILWAY:Artery Vital for the Roof of the World

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CARE

The Tibet Autonomous Region, covering an area of 1.2 million square km, is the only provincial-level region

Sketch Map of the Qinghai-Tiber Railway.

inaccessible by railway in China. Poor transport restricts economic and social development.

Building a railway into Tibet has long been a dream of the Chinese leaders. Beginning in the 1950s, efforts were made to locate sites for construction of a line on the roof of the world.

In November 2000, President Jiang Zemin issued an important instruction: “Building the qinghai-tibet railway is of great importance to development of communications and tourism, and will promote economic and cultural inter-flows between Chinas hinterland and Tibet. We should make decision and undertake the project at an earlier date.

In December 2000, the State Planning Commission summoned an appraisal meeting in Beijing, and submitted an official report to the State Council on construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

In early February 2001, the State Council opened the premiers work meeting, listening to the report by the State Planning Commission on construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. The meeting approved construction of the project.

CONSTRUCTION SCHEMES

From September 18-20, 2000, a meeting was held in Beijing to discuss construction of railway leading into Tibet. Experts examined four proposed schemes:

Scheme I: Qinghai-Tibet Railway

The line would extend 1,118 km from the southern mountain mouth at Golmud to Tibet, via Nachitai, Xidatan, Kunlun Mountain, Chumar River, Tanggula Mountain, Amdo, Cona, Nagqu, Sangxiong, Nayake, Damxung, Ningzhong, Yangbaijin Canyon and Deqen. About 564 km of the railway would be located inside Qinghai Province, and 516 km in the Tibet Autonomous Region. About 930 km would have an elevation of over 4,000 meters, with the highest point at 5,072 meters. Bridges and tunnels would comprise 30,605 meters, and 552 km of the railway would pass through the area featuring permafrost. Construction would take seven to eight years, with a total investment of 19.4 billion Yuan (calculated according to 1995 price).

Scheme II: Gansu-Tibet Railway

The railway would extend from Yongjin County nearby Lanzhou in Gansu Province to Lhasa via Guanghe, Hezhi, Linxia, Dari, Shiqu, Yushu, Sog County and Nagqu to join the above-mentioned Qinghai-Tibet Railway. It would pass through Gansu, Sichuan, Qinghai and Tibet, extending 2,126 km with 491 km in Gansu, 794 km in Qinghai, 99 km in Sichuan and 742 km in Tibet. About 1,394 km of the railway would be some 4,000 meters above sea level, and 1,771 km would cut through an area of permafrost. Total investment would amount to 63.84 billion Yuan (calculated according to 1995 price).

Scheme III: Yunnan-Tibet Railway

The railway would extend from the western terminus of the Guangtong-Dali Railway in Yunnan Province to Lhasa in Tibet, via Hehuihe River, Lancangjiang River, Meili Mountain, Nujiang, Mainling, Nang, Sangri and Gunggar. Extending 1,594.4 km, and with bridges and tunnels adding up to

Mouth of the Kunlun Mountain.

600.7 km, the project would be completed in 10 years. Investment involved would total 63.591 billion Yuan (according to 1997 price).

Scheme IV: Sichuan-Tibet Railway

The railway would extend from Dujiangyan close to Chengdu in Sichuan Province to Lhasa via Markang in Aba, Jinshajiang River, Gyangda, Lancangjiang River, Bome and Yunnan-Tibet Highway. It would cover 1,927 km, with 1,243 km in Tibet. About 1,180 km would have an average elevation of 3,000-4,000 km, with 132.5 km over 4,000 meters. Bridges and tunnels would add up to 819.24 km in length. Investment involved would reach 76.787 billion Yuan (based on 1995 prices).

Each of the four schemes had their strong points, but the State Council chose Scheme I.

M ajor media in China reported on their front pages on February 8, 2001 that China is to build the Qinghai-Tibet Railway as a major project undertaken during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005). Extending 1,118 km, the railway will snake from Golmud in Qinghai to Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region. When it is built, Chinas western, central and eastern parts will be joined.

Upon completion of the railway, coal and oil resources in northwest China will be transported to the Qinghai-

Hot spring at the Tutuhe River area.

Tibet Plateau, playing an important role to improved energy structure in Qinghai and Tibet and protection of the eco-environment there.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, however, will have to pass through 965 km with an elevation of 4,000 meters, including 550 km of permafrost. As a matter of fact, the No.1 Prospecting and Designing Institute of the Ministry of Railways joined hands with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to make preparations in the 1950s for future construction of a railway into Tibet.

On January 2, 2001, a group of 21 experts on permafrost left for Qinghai and Tibet for the same purpose. They worked in the open area in the coldest season with lowest oxygen content in the air. They worked there for half a month, conducting a survey of permafrost by relying on satellite control means. Data thus gathered are of vital importance for construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

On February 20, 2001, Cai Qinghua, Vice-Minister of Railways, announced in Beijing that construction of the Golmud-Lhasa Section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway will began sometime in the second half of the year.

The Peoples Government of Qinghai Province promised that, for construction of the railway, no tax will be levied for use of sand, stones and clay, and the urban construction tax rate will be reduced from five to one percent. For taxes that have to be levied according to the State law, the Government of Qinghai Province will apply to departments concerned for a tax holiday or exemption.

The Government of Qinghai Province will organize a powerful leading group to pave the way for the success of the project.

However, there are people who claim that construction of the railway will ruin the eco-environment. To this, railway engineers with the Ministry of Railways have said “no.

To protect plants in the construction area, the railway will be built section by section. An experimental ground was set up at an elevation of 4,750 meters to test the railway foundations, bridges, tunnels, housing, and water supply and drainage facilities.

Through repeated tests, experts have found a way to solve the permafrost problems by controlling the height of the railway foundations, building up an insulation layer, and erecting overpasses in certain areas. They concluded that the permafrost problem could be solved so long as the height of the railway foundations reached 100-200 cm.