Improved connectivity drives growth in Xizang

The Xizang autonomous region's modern transportation network, spanning more than 120,000 kilometers of highways along with expanding rail and air links, is driving economic growth, social progress and deeper integration with the rest of China.

By the end of last year, Xizang's total road mileage had reached 124,900 km — nearly double the figure in 2012 — marking a significant milestone in the region's transportation infrastructure, according to the regional transportation authority.

Rural connectivity also saw major progress, with 309 rural road projects completed last year. The projects added 17 townships to the paved road network, raising the township connectivity rate to about 98 percent. The total rural road mileage reached 94,800 km, said Dawa Ngodrub, deputy head of the region's transportation department.

Dawa Ngodrub recalled the region's past, saying that 70 years ago, Xizang, known as the "roof of the world", was a place where high mountains and large rivers posed formidable barriers.

"In the plateau's pastoral areas, people relied on primitive and ancient transportation methods like post roads, cableways and rafts. Material exchange was a labor-intensive affair, mainly relying on people and livestock carrying goods," he said, adding that it was a major bottleneck restricting regional development.

Xizang ended its long-standing isolation in 1954 with the simultaneous opening of the 4,360-km Sichuan-Xizang and Qinghai-Xizang highways, marking its first highway access. On July 1, 2006, the full operation of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway ended the region's railway-less past. Since then, an expanding network of roads, railways and air routes has driven Xizang's socioeconomic transformation.

Following the Qinghai-Xizang Railway's inauguration, the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway, an extension of it, started operations in 2014 and was upgraded to high-speed service in 2021, reducing travel time between the two cities from eight to nine hours by car to two hours and 20 minutes by train.

The Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway, Xizang's first electrified railway, entered service in June 2021. Major cities such as Lhasa, Lhokha, Nagchu, Shigatse and Nyingchi are now connected by main railway lines, with the region's railway operation mileage expected to reach 1,187 km by the end of last year, data from the department showed.

The impact of these transportation advancements is deeply felt at the grassroots level. Lhatse, a 31-year-old forklift driver from Shigatse working at the Lhasa West Freight Station of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway, is a prime example.

He started working as a loader in 2012, and as freight volume grew following the 2014 opening of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway, he learned new skills and earned a forklift operation qualification certificate.

With a stable monthly income of more than 10,000 yuan ($1,376), he encouraged his brother and uncle to join the industry. The railway has not only boosted his career, but also improved his family life.

"This year, I bought a car," he said proudly.

Lhatse also praised the improved transportation network.

"Before, poor transportation meant my family couldn't visit me," he said. "Now, with the train from Shigatse to Lhasa taking just over two hours, they visit annually and even tour the Potala Palace before heading home."

The railway has also helped migrant workers like him balance farming and work, with more than 100 fellow villagers now working as loaders at the Lhasa station.

In Changkar village, Dingri county, Kunga has also benefited from the improvements.

"The journey from our village to Shigatse, once 10 hours by car, is now less than four hours, and the trip from Dingri county to Lhasa, which took six days by truck two or three decades ago, now takes just eight hours," said Kunga.

Better roads have also revolutionized access to medical services.

"In the past, serious illnesses often meant a long and risky trip to Shigatse or Lhasa, and some poor families had to rely on local remedies," he said. "Now, reaching a hospital is much easier, and living standards have improved."

With improved access to railways, the region has seen growth in the tourism and logistics industries.

According to China Railway Qinghai-Xizang Group, by February this year, the Qinghai-Xizang Railway had transported more than 38.75 million passenger trips in and out of Xizang and 925.63 million metric tons of goods.

The Lhasa-Shigatse Railway has seen 15.47 million passenger trips and has carried 58.284 million metric tons of goods, while the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway has facilitated 3.69 million passenger trips and hauled 11.37 million metric tons of goods.

This year, Xizang will expand investment in transportation, enhance logistics efficiency and reduce costs, aiming to further promote high-quality growth, said Dawa Ngodrub, deputy head of the region's transportation department.