Lhasa-Shigatse Railway will be opened to traffic in September, 2014

It is reported that the main construction of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway had been completed recently. Currently, the magnificent project is under examination and is expected to be opened to traffic in September, 2014. The staffs of Lhasa Railway Station had started the investigation and research work on Lhasa-Shigatse Railway. There are about 252 staffs will be allocated on Lhasa-Shigatse Railway.

Relevant departments and units will have the works checked at the last section of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway project. The staffs of the operation units will check the the equipments operation on Lhasa-Shigatse Railway before it is opened to traffic in this September. Possible problems will be found and solved before its official operation. The examination and inspection on the technique, safety and dispatch is an important work needed to be done before Lhasa-Shigatse Railway is opened to passengers.

According to the original plan, the speed of the Lhasa-Shigatse train is 120 kilometer per hour. Shigatse is about 253 kilometers away from Lhasa, and it takes only about 2 hours to get to Shigatse from Lhasa by train. Meanwhile, it takes nearly 5 hours to drive to Shigatse from Lhasa. Obviously, taking the train to Shigatse from Lhasa is much time-saving than driving. The operation of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway will bring great convenience for both local Tibetans and visitors.

As we all known, Shigatse is the second largest city on Tibet Plateau. It plays important role in the foreign trade, food supply and culture exchange in Tibet. The opening of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway will greatly promote the economy, agriculture and culture development in Shigatse Prefecture. Certainly, the living standard of local Tibetans will also be upgraded with the opening of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway.

Shigatse is a prefecture quite noted for both its natural landscapes and profound culture. Tashilhunpo Monastery and Sakya Monastery are must-visit sites for visitors have strong interest in Tibetan Buddhism culture. The world famous Mt. Everest Base Camp is situated in Shigatse. The period between September and October is widely regarded as the best season for sightseeing at Mt. Everest Base Camp for the visibility during this period is much higher than the other periods. Tourists willing to have a close look of the highest mountain above the sea level could take the train to Shigatse from Lhasa after the Lhasa-Shigatse is put into operation.

Actually, the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway is the extension of the world famous Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Tourists willing to visit Shigatse could make a transfer to Shigatse at Lhasa Railway Station directly. It should be noted that the average altitude in Shigatse is relatively higher than that in Lhasa. Therefore, tourists being worried about the possible high altitude sickness are strongly suggested to have a stops in Lhasa for sightseeing firstly and continue your train journey to Shigatse after you accustomed to the altitude in Lhasa.