- Connects Lhasa to existing China rail network
- New 1,140km stretch cost $4.2bn
- World's highest railway, reaching 5,072m
- Oxygen to be pumped into each carriage
- Restaurant car's rice cooked in pressure cookers, to mitigate effects of high altitude
- Beijing to Lhasa to take 48 hours, cost $50-$160 one way
- New 1,140km stretch cost $4.2bn
- World's highest railway, reaching 5,072m
- Oxygen to be pumped into each carriage
- Restaurant car's rice cooked in pressure cookers, to mitigate effects of high altitude
- Beijing to Lhasa to take 48 hours, cost $50-$160 one way
At its highest point, the railway will reach 5,072m (16,640ft) - beating by 225m a route through the Peruvian Andes that was previously the world's highest railway, the China Daily newspaper reports.
In parts, the train line has been built on bridges elevated above the most unstable permafrost.
Elsewhere, cooling pipes have been sunk into the ground to ensure it remains frozen to stabilise the tracks.
The train carriages have windows with ultra-violet filters to keep out the sun's glare, as well as carefully regulated oxygen levels with spare supplies to combat the thin air.
In parts, the train line has been built on bridges elevated above the most unstable permafrost.
Elsewhere, cooling pipes have been sunk into the ground to ensure it remains frozen to stabilise the tracks.
The train carriages have windows with ultra-violet filters to keep out the sun's glare, as well as carefully regulated oxygen levels with spare supplies to combat the thin air.
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