V-10 Quetion: Qinghai-Tibet Railway runs on plateau in high altitude. Construction of such a railroad was very challenging. Some foreign experts thought it almost impossible to build such a railroad. How has China overcome those difficulties and successfully built this longest railroad running on plateau, which is also the highest railroad in the world?
A: It is true that people often describe the roads to Tibet as "roads in the sky". Some experts thought a railroad to Tibet not feasible, because in the path of the railroad, there lies mountains that are 5,000 meters above sea level, river valleys running 12 km wide, and a thousand km of land covered with snow and ice that are not firm enough to hold the rail track. In addition, the air in Tibet is so thin that some people cannot walk without oxygen bag, the temperature often falls to below minus 30 degree Celsius, how could workers drill tunnel and lay tracks in such harsh working conditions?
Nevertheless, the prediction of these experts is wrong. In five years, staffs working on Qinghai-Tibet Railway project have come up with solutions to build railroad on permafrost terrain in oxygen deficient environment without destroying the natural habitat. On July 1, 2006, the section of the railway between Golmud and Lhasa was inaugurated. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway has a total length of 1,142 km, out of which, 960 km of the rail track is on an altitude of over 4,000 meters above the sea level. Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the longest railroad running on plateau on permafrost terrain, and also the highest railroad in the world.
Permafrost terrain is a vexing issue for railroad engineers in the world. Several countries with large area of permafrost terrains have been working hard to find solutions. In comparison to these countries, China started research in this area relatively late. With experience from Qinghai-Tibet highway, and Qinghai-Tibet Railway, now, research in railroad construction on permafrost terrain in China has leapfrogged to an advanced level. Chinese railroad engineers managed to build road and railroad in permafrost terrains by building elevated railroad and using scree and slates to support the track. These measures have worked out well.
Due to its high altitude, the air on Qinghai Tibet Plateau is thin, and the weather is cold and dry, so the eco-system is fragile. To protect the natural environment, engineers have worked hard to steer Qinghai-Tibet railroad away from sensitive spots. Construction sites, service roads and storage sites for sands and stones were selected after meticulous surveys. In areas that difficult for natural fauna to thrive, plants were transplanted. To protect the normal living, migration and breeding of wild animals, engineers have build 33 passages for wild animals to cross the railroad. According to the study by the State Environment Protection Administration, Qinghai-Tibet railroad has not affected the natural environment of the plateau.
In most of the regions along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the density of oxygen is only half of that at the sea level. Temperature can dip to as low as minus 40 degree Celsius. Living and working in such area can be life threatening. Measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway project team. Among the 130,000 people working on the project, there was no casualty or a single case of plagues or SARS.
After five years' construction and one year of test operation, Qinghai-Tibet Railway is in normal operation. Today, in the comfortable train, one can enjoy a sweeping view of the vast wildness of Qinghai Tibet Plateau, experiencing the tranquility of nature and the grandeur of the snow covered lands. Qinghai-Tibet Railway illustrates that technology enables economic development and environment conservation to go hand in hand.
(China.org.cn)