Lhasa-Shigatse railway to open on Saturday

A new rail line will open to passengers tomorrow in the Tibet autonomous region. It will link the region's two largest cities, the regional capital Lhasa and Shigatse.

The new line is over 250 kilometers long and has 14 stations. Trains will travel at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour.

The new train will cut travel time in half between the two cities, reducing the trip down to three hours.

It's expected this will boost tourism and economic development in the southwest part of the Tibet autonomous region.

Journalist Zhang Junjun got to take the train during a recent test run.

"Many people suffer from altitude sickness in this region, so the coaches are installed with an oxygen diffusion system to relieve this issue."

The altitude is well over three thousand meters, and in some areas exceeds four thousand meters. But he says it's a smooth trip, despite the mountains and steep terrain the line crosses.

"It is very quiet in the coach. I hardly heard the noise from the train wheels on the track."

The first train will depart Lhasa railway station at 9 am Saturday.

It will stop at four stations between Lhasa and Shigatse. Other stations will be completed in the following months.