A diesel locomotive, the last of 30 needed in the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Project arrived at the Amdo track-laying base in Tibet on June 14, all 138 tons of it. The locomotive was dismantled into three parts and was carried in three trucks from the Xiushui River base to Amdo, a distance of some 400 kilometers.

The journey from Xiushui River to Amdo is fraught with difficulties mainly due to terrain and climate. For one thing, average elevation is 4,800 meters. For another, the weather isn't always kind, particularly the traverse over Tanggula and Fenghuo mountains, both at an elevation of over 5,000 meters. Further, passing through the source of the Yangtze River, Tuotuo River, is a challenge in itself.

The railway is expected to be operational from July 1, 2007. But its construction is a mammoth project, which is why the Ministry of Railways decided last year to add the Amdo track-laying base to the construction plan.

The move has conspicuously speeded up the general construction process, not least because the tracks are being laid in both directions -- towards Tanggula and towards Lhasa.

Tracks are now being laid on the Tanggula Mountain ridge, and the long continuous downhill at Damxung-Lhasa.

As with transporting the locomotive, the track-laying is not without its challenges. For example, 50 kilometers to the left and right of the Tanggula Mountain ridge, the railway’s highest point, workers have to cope with hailstorms, heavy rain, snow and wind. Temperatures can dip to as low as 20º C below zero. Bad weather conditions pose a great threat to the workers' safety. Reduced oxygen levels at such high altitudes also lowers work efficiency and affects machine performance, said La Youyu, vice head of the general command of the railway construction.

To tackle these issues, construction headquarters has drawn up a plan to ensure that the track-laying goes smoothly. For the long continuous downhill portion of the project, tracks are laid at 3.2 kilometers per day on average and 3 kilometers per day in the tunnels. In addition, working hours have been shortened to prevent fatigue, and safety examination and maintenance procedures in relation to equipment have been enhanced.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway will run from the city of Golmud in western Qinghai to Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, extending across a total length of 1,142 kilometers.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, June 24, 2005)