Returning to the Qinghai-Xizang Railway in My Dreams

On June 22, 2004, at the Amdo Railway Station 4,700 m above sea level, a ceremony was held to mark the start of track-laying for the Amdo-Lhasa section of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway. Amidst an atmosphere brimming with excitement, the arduous construction work began.

Every railway line starts with a geotechnical investigation and goes through many steps before it opens. Building a railway on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is certainly a herculean undertaking.

The railway spans the Yangbajain Grand Canyon, an incredibly long downhill slope where the altitude decreases by 1,000 m for every 50 km.

Our railway construction commenced with track-laying. The tracklayer lifted the track panels and placed them onto the completed roadbed row by row. The track extended steadily day by day.

In every moment and every location, the process of track-laying unfolded as a captivating spectacle. Often, we found ourselves immersed in the vast expanse of snowy landscapes that stretched for tens of kilometers, with only our dedicated presence as witnesses to this remarkable sight.

The steel in the track panels and prefabricated girders embodies the resilience of the builders.