Today in China

Yesterday, the first Beijing-Lhasa high altitude train arrived at Lhasa Red Ball. The only minor issue they encountered was… bags of processed food bursting due to the low air pressure after the train climbed above 13,000 feet and up to 16,640 feett to go through a pass in Tibet’s Tanggula Mountains.

You may find many more information related to the train on Tibet.cn. Here is the official FAQ

Q1. Where will the train depart from in Beijing?
The train will depart from the Beijing West Railway Station.

Q2. When will the train leave Beijing and return from Lhasa?
As scheduled, the train T27 will leave Beijing at 21:30 and arrive in Lhasa at 20:58 on the third day after 47 hours and 28 minutes’ running.
The train T28 will start from Lhasa at 8:00 am. and come back to Beijing west at 8:00 am. on the third day with a 48-hour-trip.

Q3. Where are the tickets available?
Passengers can buy tickets in the following railway stations: Beijing West Railway Station, Lanzhou Railway Station, Chengdu Railway Station, Xining Railway Station and Chongqing Railway Station.
Related Consulting Telphone Numbers:

Q4. How much is a ticket?
The ticket for the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has been confirmed.

Q5. How many trains will operate a day?
As planned, there will be both a train running from opposite directions in the three express train lines including Beijing west-Lhasa line, Chengdu(Chongqing)-Lhasa express train line and Xining(Lanzhou)-Lhasa express train line.

Q6. Can foreigners take these trains?
Yes, of course they can. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway train welcomes all the passengers from home and abroad.

Q7. How long will it take to travel to Lhasa by train?
Please refer to the following lines:

• Beijing-Lhasa
  Train T27 will start from the Beijing West Railway Station at 21:30 and arrive at Lhasa Railway Station at 20:58 on the third day after 47 hours and 28 minutes’ running.
  Train T28 will depart from the Lhasa Railway Station at 8:00 am. and arrive in Beijing west at 8:00 am. on the third day with a 48-hour-trip.
• Chengdu-Lhasa
  T22/3 train will leave Chengdu at 18:18 and arrive in Lhasa at 18:28 on the third day with a trip of 48 hours and 10 minutes.
  T24/1 train will set out from Lhasa at 9:05 am. and get to Chengdu at 9:55 am on the third day after 48 hours and 50 minutes.
• Lanzhou-Lhasa
  K917 train will leave Lanzhou at 16:45 and arrive in Lhasa at 22:30 on the second day with a trip of 29 hours and 45 minutes.
  K918 train will set out from Lhasa at 9:32 am. and arrive in Lanzhou at 15:45 on the second day after running for 30 hours and 13 minutes.
• Chongqing-Lhasa
  Train T222/3 will start from Chongqing at 19:20 and arrive in Lhasa at 18:28 on the third day running for 47 hours and 8 minutes.
  Train T224/1 will set out from Lhasa at 9:05 am. and arrive in Chongqing at 9:55 am. with a trip of 48 hours and 50 minutes.
• Xining-Lhasa
  K917 train will set out from Xining at 20:07 and arrive in Lhasa at 22:30 on the second day after running for 26 hours and 23 minutes.
  K917 train will start from Lhasa at 9:32 am and arrive in Xining at 12:19 am. on the second day with a trip of 26 hours and 47 minutes.

Q8. Why there is no price for trains from Shanghai and Guangzhou to Lhasa?
At the very beginning for the trial operation of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, there are only three passenger trains including Beijing west to Lhasa red ball, Chengdu(Chongqing)-Lhasa express train and Xining(Lanzhou)-Lhasa express train. Currently, there is no train starting from Shanghai and Guangzhou. If you are in Shanghai and want to travel to Tibet by train, you may go to Beijing to take the Beijing-Lhasa train; and if you are in Guangzhou, please go to Chongqing or Chengdu to take the train.

Q9. Are visas or travel documents required to travel to Lhasa and surrounding areas in Tibet?
Passengers should fill in a Health Registration Card when buying railway tickets to enter Tibet and a permit for entering Tibet is also needed for the foreign tourists.

Editor: Yangtze Yan
Source: Tibet.cn