Lhasa-Shigatse Railway Open in August 2014

A new railway in Tibet has open to the public since August 16th, 2014. It links the Tibet’s two largest cities, the capital city Lhasa and Shigatse.

Spanning 251 km, the new rail line starts from Lhasa, the last stop of the “Sky Way” Qinghai-Tibet Railway, then passes Doilungdeqen County, Qushui Country, and traverses through the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon for approximately 90 km, finally reaches Shigatse of Southwest Tibet.

Qinghai -Tibet Railway

Lhasa-Shigatse rail line is regarded as a big outreach program of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway – the world’s longest plateau rail. It was put into operation in January 2011, and finally completed on August, 2014. There are totally 14 stations on this trail. And the trains are allowed to travel at a speed of up to 120 kilometers per hour. In this way, the travel time between the two cities will be cut in half, with the journey time being about 3 hours.

Lhasa-Shigatse railway traverses on the world’s highest plateau at an elevation of 4,000 m. Many visitors has suffered from altitude sickness when taking a train within this region, so the coaches are installed with an oxygen diffusion system to relieve the discomfort caused by high altitude and ensure each passenger a smooth and pleasant trip. (Read More about Qinghai-Tibet Railway on:http://www.easytourchina.com/blog-v1229-highlights-along-…)

Lhasa-Shigatse railway will better connect most parts of Tibet, further Tibet and the country’s other regions. It is expected to improve local people’s travel conditions, and boost tourism and economic development in Tibet.

There are so many destinations and places of interest in Tibet that are both tranquil and stunning, including Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Changtang Grassland, holy Namtso Lake, Yamdrok Lake, Mt. Everest and so forth. (Click for China Tibet tours:http://www.easytourchina.com/tour-c291-tibet-tours)