Qinghai-Tibet Railway Sets Records

By Susan Harp, Esri Writer

	A GIS-based route information and query page for the trains.
	A virtual 3D view of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway route and landscape.

When the section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway between Golmud in Qinghai Province and Lhasa in Tibet Province opened in July 2006, several worldwide engineering records were set:

• The world's highest rail track crosses over Tanggula Pass at 5,072 meters (16,640 feet).
• The world record for the highest railway station was set by the Tanggula Mountain railway station at 5,068 meters (16,404 feet).
• The world's highest railroad tunnel, Fenghuoshan, is located at 4,905 meters (16,093 feet). More than 960 kilometers (597 miles) of track run at extreme altitudes. More than half the track runs across permafrost. The track also crosses 675 bridges.

To safeguard passengers from altitude sickness, passenger cars have enriched oxygen piped in and have supplemental emergency oxygen systems; even so, passengers must sign a health registration agreement before boarding the train. Even the train's diesel motor locomotives are specifically designed to operate at high altitudes. One year after the official Qinghai-Tibet Railway opening, the railway has carried about 11 million tons of freight and 2.02 million passengers—mostly college students, tourists, and business people—with very few incidents.

About Esri China (Beijing) Limited

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About State Key Laboratory of Rail Traffic Control and Safety, Beijing Jiaotong University

The State Key Laboratory of Rail Traffic Control and Safety relies on state-level key disciplines, including Transportation Planning and Management, Traffic Information and Control, Communication and Information Systems, and Systems Science, which are top-ranking agencies in China. It integrates several key laboratories from provincial and ministerial levels.

Visit the Web site at http://rtlab.njtu.edu.cn/.

See also "Enterprise GIS Helps Safeguard the Qinghai-Tibet Railway."