Plateau railway new engine for Tibet's economic growth

On the platform of the Lhasa railway station, 36-year-old station worker Tashi Dondrup watched passengers board the C893 train.

Tashi Dondrup, a native of the regional capital Lhasa, had to take a plane in 2002 when he headed to school in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, because there were no trains in Tibet. After he started working in 2006, he witnessed the development of rail transport in the plateau region.

In July 2006, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway linking Lhasa and Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, went operational, ending the pre-railways period in Tibet. In August 2014, the Lhasa-Xigaze Railway opened for operation as the first extension line of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. In June 2021, when the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway was put into operation, Fuxing bullet trains ran in the plateau region for the first time.

The Lhasa railway station has witnessed explosive growth in passenger flow, surging from 2.24 million in 2007 to more than 4 million in 2021.

"The original four waiting halls can no longer meet the demand. We are now renovating the station to provide another two rooms for passengers to wait for trains," Tashi Dondrup said.

Now, bullet trains have connected Lhasa, Nyingchi, Shannan and Xigaze, whose combined GDP accounts for more than 70 percent of the region's total. Railway transportation has further driven the economic growth of the cities.

Sonam Tobgye, a farmer from Changzhug Township, Nedong District in the city of Shannan, often takes the train to Lhasa to visit his daughter. His home is located at the foot of Yumbulagang, Tibet's first palace, dating back more than 2,000 years, which is a popular tourist attraction in Shannan.

The 67-year-old said the new railway not only makes travel easier, but also brings more tourists, as well as tourism revenue, to his hometown.

"Some of my fellow villagers sell souvenirs, some run tea houses and some provide horse-riding services for tourists. Their wallets have become much fatter," he said.