The Sichuan–Tibet railway, Sichuan–Xizang railway or Chuanzang railway is a high-elevation railway under construction that will connect Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, and Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The line will be 1,629 km (1,012 mi) long, and cut travel time from Chengdu to Lhasa from 48 to 13 hours.
The first segment to enter operation was from Chengdu–Ya'an on 28 December 2018. The second segment to enter operation, from Nyingchi–Lhasa, opened on 25 June 2021. The final Ya'an–Nyingchi segment is expected to complete in 2030. It is the first electrified railway in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the first higher-speed rail on the plateau. China high-speed railway service will run China Railway CR200J Fuxing EMU on this line.
According to Chinese media, the Sichuan–Tibet railway is extremely difficult to construct. The railway has a huge elevation difference of 3000m. The starting point Sichuan basin only has 300m altitude, while the terminal is located 3000m above sea level on the Tibetan Plateau. 90% of the line runs altitude more than 3000m. The line also run though Yarlung Tsangpo river 16 times, and requires construction of 47 tunnels and 121 bridges.
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