Today in China

As I told you in a previous post, there is a big project for a railroad to Lhasa, Tibet. And the first train will leave on Saturday!

Trains will run between Lhasa and cities in three directions: Beijing, Chongqing/Chengdu and Xining/Lanzhou. Here are some more details about the trains from Beijing:
From Beijing to Lhasa

• Train: T27
• Departure: 9:30PM in Beijing’s Western Railway Station
• Arrival: 8:58PM in Lhasa on the third day
• Stopping at: Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province, Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, Lanzhou in Gansu Province, Xining and Golmud in Qinhai Province and Nagqu in Tibet Autonomous Region.
• Information about the rail line: 4,064 kilometers long, 1110 kilometers of new track, mostly over 4,000 meters above sea level
• Cost for a return ticket: 389RMB (roughly 40EUR or 50USD) for a hard seat, 813RMB for a hard sleeper (roughly 80EUR or 100USD), 1262RMB (roughly 125EUR or 160USD) for a soft sleeper and the most expensive tickets at 2540RMB (roughly 255EUR or 320USD)

From Lhasa to Beijing

• Train: T28
• Departure: 8:00AM in Lhasa
• Arrival: 8:00AM in Beijing’s Western Railway Station on the third day

This is a big change when you compare the price of the train tickets with the plane tickets around 4500RMB (450EUR). I do not dare to think about how Lhasa in particular and Tibet in general will evolve after the 1st of July… I’m quite afraid Lhasa will turn into another touristic nightmare, just like many other interesting and beautiful places around China. I am really happy that I’ve been there before the railroad.

The story about the railroad to Lhasa is just starting… RailPartners (American company) has an agreement with the Qinghai-Tibet Railway under the Ministry of Railways about running a $1,000-a-day luxury sightseeing train called the Tangula Express. This train will provide 100-square-foot private suites, oversized glass windows, haute cuisine, and full bathrooms!

Source
China Daily, 2006 06 27
Railroad to Lhasa - Today in China