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Qingzang railway facts for kids

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Qingzang railway Train 01
A train pulled by an NJ2 locomotive travels on the Qingzang railway in 2008.

The Qingzang railway is a special train line in China. It is also known as the Qinghai–Tibet railway. This amazing railway connects Xining in Qinghai Province to Lhasa in Tibet. It's famous for being one of the highest railways in the world!

This railway line goes through some incredible places. It crosses the Tanggula Pass, which is the highest point on any railway track in the world. It's 5,072 meters (about 16,640 feet) above sea level! The Tanggula Railway Station is also the highest train station on Earth.

Amazing Tunnels and Bridges

The Qingzang railway has some record-breaking tunnels. The Fenghuoshan tunnel is the highest railway tunnel in the world. It is 1,338 meters long and sits at 4,905 meters above sea level. The longest tunnel on the line is the Yangbajing tunnel. It is 3,345 meters long and is located about 80 kilometers north-west of Lhasa. This tunnel is 4,264 meters above sea level.

Building on High Ground

A large part of the railway, especially the section from Golmud to Lhasa, is very high up. Over 960 kilometers of this section, which is more than 80% of its length, is higher than 4,000 meters. Building a railway at such heights was a huge challenge!

The railway also has many bridges. There are 675 bridges in total, stretching for almost 160 kilometers. A big part of the railway is built on permafrost. This is ground that stays frozen all year round. Engineers had to find special ways to build the tracks so they wouldn't sink or shift when the ground thawed a little.

The Qingzang railway was finished in 2006. It makes travel much easier for people wanting to go to Tibet. For example, a train trip from Lhasa to big cities like Guangzhou or Shanghai takes about three days.

Images for kids

  • Qingzangrailwaymap

    Map of the Qinghai–Tibet railway

  • Board of Z21-22 (20151217085606)

    Line Z21/Z22 serves between Beijing West railway station and Lhasa railway station

  • Lahsa station

    Lhasa railway station

  • Photo by Xundaogong 巡道工出品 鸟岛信号塔 - panoramio

    Train running along the Qinghai Lake, between Xining and Golmud

  • Tanggula Railway Station 2

    Tanggula railway station, located at 5,068 m (16,627 ft), is the highest station in the world

  • Photo by Xundaogong 巡道工出品 7581次在南山-二郎间 - panoramio

    A section of the railway between Nanshan and Erlang, in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai

  • 巡道工出品 photo by Xundaogong——特28通过二郎螺旋展线 - panoramio

    Spiral loop at Guanjiao, Qinghai

  • TibBahn1

    Kunlun Pass

  • Qinghai–Tibet Railway (Qingzang Railway) (37148431070)

    Wetland by the railway, near the Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains

  • YW25T 676500@BJX (20151217082001)

    Specially built plateau coaches at Beijing West railway station, arriving from Lhasa as Z22

  • Xining railway station platform

    Xining railway station

  • 通天河大桥 Tongtian River Bridge China Xinjiang Urumqi Welcome yo - panoramio (3)

    Bridge over the Tongtian River

  • 20060730225824 - 格尔木站

    Golmud railway station

  • 20060731061434 - 唐古拉站

    Tanggula railway station 5,068 meters above sea level

  • TanggulaShan

    Tanggula Mountains

  • TibetanRailwayBridge

    Bridge on permafrost horizon

  • Tsonag Lake, Tibet

    Tsonag Lake

  • Nyainqentanglha from Qingzang Railway

    Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains

  • Lhasatrainstation shu

    Lhasa railway station

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ferrocarril Qinghai–Tíbet para niños

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Qingzang railway Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.