Railway to Tibet

Some perspectives on the new Qinghai-Tibet railway. Technical:

However questionable the political logic behind China's new railway linking the city of Golmud in Qinghai province with Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, the practical achievement is a formidable one. Built at a cost of around $4.2 billion, and opened for passenger service this week, the railway runs for 1,140 km at an average elevation of 4,000 metres - the highest railway in the world, and one of the most difficult to build, requiring long sections of elevated tracks over unstable permafrost, and scores of bridges and tunnels.

Experiential:

As the train climbed towards the highest railway pass on Earth, funny things began to happen.

Pens leaked. Air-tight bags of crisps and peanuts burst open. Laptops crashed and MP3 players stopped working. Passengers began feeling nauseous, and some reached for their oxygen masks. A few were sick.

But few of the 500 passengers on board were complaining. For railway buffs, this was as close as it came to paradise. We were on board the first passenger train to journey the 4,000km (2,500 miles) from Beijing to the ancient Tibetan capital of Lhasa and the final 1,110km yesterday took us up through the 5,072m (16,640ft) Tanggula Pass and across the roof of the world.

Political:

[C]ritics say it will spur an influx of longterm Chinese migrants who will threaten Tibet's cultural identity.

"This is the second invasion of Tibet," said Khedroob Thondup, whose father is the Dalai Lama's older brother...

The Chinese People's Liberation Army has occupied Tibet since 1950.

Nine years later, the Himalayan region's god-king, the Dalai Lama, fled to India after a failed uprising.

"Politically, China wants Tibetans to become a complete minority and to dilute Tibetan culture and identity," said Khedroob, 54, who travelled frequently to China with his father in the 1990s for talks which dragged on for about a decade.

"Strategically, Tibet will become one of China's biggest military zones primarily to combat the influence of India. This railroad will complement quick militarisation of Tibet."