The Qinghai-Tibet Railway has transported 1.18 million passengers and 1.16 million tons of cargo since it began operations last July, according to the Railway Administration.

 

Liu Zhijun, the railway minister, said there have been no serious accidents and the environment has been effectively protected.

 

The 1,956-km Qinghai-Tibet Railway has led to an increase in the number of visitors and local economy, according to statistics released by the local authorities.

 

By the end of 2006, Tibet has recorded 2.45 million inbound tourists from home and abroad, up 36 percent over the same period of 2005.

 

The region expects its economy to expand 13.2 percent in 2006, a 10-year high. From 2001 to 2005, Tibet witnessed average annual economic growth of 12 percent.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2007)