INTRODUCTION TO THE CONSTRUCTION
OF QINGZANG RAILWAY
Minister of Railways
(November 7, 2001)

To build the Qingzang (Qinghai-Tibet) railway is an important decision made by the Chinese Government in the new century and a hallmark project of the development of the western region. Soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China department concerned started to study the issue of building a railway into Tibet. With the concern of late senior state leaders, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Ding Xiaoping, the Xining-Golmud section of the Qingzang railway started construction in 1958, the track laying completed in 1979, and opened to traffic in 1984. Due to the economic strength at that time and the unsolved technical problems of building railway on plateau and permafrost region, the section between Golmud and Lhasa was not built. But the study on the alternatives of the railway alignment leading to Tibet and the permafrost-engineering test has never been interrupted. With the support of department concerned the ministry of railways have made in-depth studies on the railway building technology on permafrost, ecological environment protection, labor and hygiene and Medicare provision, and has provided practical solutions and actual counter measures, thus paving the way for the construction of the railway. With the strengthening of the national economy and more understanding of the technically difficult issues of railroading, the construction of this railway has been brought to our important agenda. In November, 2000, president of China Jiang Zemin made an important instruction on the report prepared by the Ministry of Railways, pointing out that it is very necessary to build this Qingzang railway and it will facilitate the development of transportation and tourism and the promotion of the economical and cultural exchange between Tibet and the inland china and we should be determined to start building the railway as soon as possible. In February the same year Premier Zhu Rongji chaired a Premier Administrative Meeting and held that the opportunity for building this railway had come and the conditions were ready. And the inception of the Qingzang railway was approved.

Opening ceremonies of the railway were separately held in Qinghai Province and Tibet Autonomous Region at the same time on 29th June 2001.

The Golmud-Lhasa section of the Qingzang railway measures 1142km, of which 1110km of tracks will be built and there are 32km of existing line to be upgraded. The railway starts from Golmud, goes through Nachitai, Wudaoliang, Tuotuohe, Yanshiping, Tanggulashan, in Qinghai province and Anduo Naqu, Dangxong Yangbajing to Lhasa in Tibet Autonomous Region. 960km of track rest on an elevation of over 4,000 m and the highest track is at 5,072m. The length of the permafrost area is 630km and the island-shaped non-continuous frozen soil area measures 82km. This is a plateau railway of the highest elevation and the longest route in the world. The railway negotiates an area where the weather is cold, the air lack of oxygen, the ecology frail and the geology complicated. It goes through 550 km of permafrost area. Earthquakes, slides including landslides and mudflow are common calamities occurring along the line. Building a railway in such an environment is technically difficult and challenging in engineering. The total construction period is 6 years, with a designed annual carrying capacity of 8 pairs of passenger trains and 5 million t of freight transportation density in one direction.

The construction of this railway is a huge project. The building of this railway will put in place an economic, rapid, high-capacity and all-weather transportation corridor in the Qingzang Plateau, thus changing from the very basis the backward transportation situation in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is of great significance to promote the economic and social development of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province and enhance cultural exchange between the eastern and western regions.

1. The construction of the railway is well begun and progresses smoothly

Since the start of the construction, MOR carefully carried out the instructions of the State Council on the construction of the Qingzang railway. According to the requirements of work hard and contribute, rely on science and technology, ensure health, love environment, and strive to build the first class railway, with the support of departments concerned of the State and the local governments of the Region and Province, every work of the project has started well and goes smoothly.

a) The survey and design unit put in all their efforts and expedited their design work. Final survey of the full length of the railway has already been completed and design drawings for Golmud-Wangkun section and the permafrost engineering test section provided as required. The design work of the Kunlunshan-Tanggulashan section is going on in full swing. b) All construction teams act swiftly and work effectively. They are quick in going to site, making construction preparations and carrying out the construction. The 147km of subgrade in Golmud-Wangkun section has basically taken shape and the track-laying base at Nanshankou has already been built, thus paving the way for the start of track laying for 2002. c) Work on the permafrost test sections at Beiluhe River, Qingshuihe River and Tuotuohe River are progressing smoothly and the technical staff are busy with tests and studies. As of October this year, we have invested a total of 770 million yuan, started the construction of 55 bridges and three tunnels. We had completed 8.8 million m3 of subgrade, 5,900 linear meters of bridges, 500 linear m of tunnels, and 6,000 linear m of culverts. D) The engineering quality employs high standard. All engineering teams are striving to control their quality. They have regulated high quality project program, taken quality insurance measures, perfected is their quality control system, carried out quality control responsibility system, strengthened engineering supervision, and enhanced quality control of full staff, full areas and full process. The completed part of the project has all lived up to high criteria, demonstrating the requirements of high starting point, high quality and high standard.

2. Great attention is attached to ecological environment

Due to the geographic situation and climate conditions of the Qingzang plateau, its ecological environment is very frail. Though the right of way used by the Qingzang railway is only several dozens of meters accounting for a very small percentage of the total area of the plateau, every unit still attaches great attention to environment protection and has taken the strictest measures to protect the environment in the railway construction history. In the inception work, survey and design and construction, to protect the ecological environment is also an important mission. We shall do a good appraisal of the environment impact, follow the principle of prevention first and protection rules, and make sure that every measure is carried out.

The related laws and regulations of the country are followed in an all-round way.
In the construction of the Qingzang railway we conscientiously carried out the Environment Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, the Water Pollution Protection Laws, the Atmospheric Pollution Protection Law, the Solid Waste Pollution Environment Protection Law, the Environment Noise Pollution Protection Law, the Water and Soil Conservation Law, Wildlife Protection Law, Natural Protection Zone Regulation and Wild Plant Protection Regulations. We have set up such principles as protection first; environment protection rules. Environment protection facilities shall be designed, constructed and put into operation together with railway building.

Environment protection measures are carried out to the full.
The State Administration of Environment Protection, the Ministry of State Land resources and the Ministry of Railways jointly studied the environment issue of the railway, carried out the full-length environment protection appraisal and regulated perfect and effective environment protection measures.

Protect measures of the vegetation of the plateau.
The Qingzang railway generally goes along the Qingzang highway. In the design, the construction path, construction site, borrowing pit and construction waste site and construction camps are rationally planned. The construction-affected areas and the construction path are strictly assigned so as to prevent the vegetation outside the construction range from being trampled and damaged. The vegetation inside the construction range is required to be removed and planted temporarily elsewhere and planted back to the completed roadbed side slope or construction site during or after the construction is finished. In the section south to the Tanggula Mountain where the natural conditions allow, vegetation will be rehabilitated. The plateau grass seeds will be selected and cultivated and planted onto the site and use part of the local marshland vegetation roots for reproduction and rehabilitate them on construction sites.

Protection measures for natural conservation zones and wildlife that is rare and almost extinct.
Alternative routes passing Kekexili, Chumaerhe, and Sojia natural conservation zones are compared in design. Those that negotiate away from these zones are selected. In order to protect the Pengpu black neck crane natural conservation zone, the Yangbajing alternative is selected after the railway enters Tibet, thus it runs quite some distance away from the black-neck crane protection zone. In consideration of the customs and habits of the wildlife, their migration rule, we have designed 33 wildlife paths including 13 mild slope paths, 18 bridge paths and 2 passes over tunnel in order to guarantee that the wildlife living along the line can live normally. In order to strengthen the management during the construction period, the Ministry of Railways and State Administration of Environment Protection have joint prepared an Environment Protection Manual to be used during the construction to strengthen the training and education of the railway builders and live up to all requirements.

Protection measures for plateau lakes and wetland ecological system.
There are many plateau lakes and swamps that the railway passes. In order not to block the water flow on the ground surface, the subgrade, borrowing pit and construction waste sites on the swamps which may cause deterioration of the ecological function of the swamps and cause shrinkage are designed to be located away from the swamps. If it is impossible to avoid them bridges will be built to pass over them. In some sections more culverts are built so as not to block the ground surface water flow and ensure that the surface water be supplemented to the wetland water resource and the swamps will not shrink.

Protection measures for the plateau permafrost environment and the natural sceneries along the line.
To ensure the stability of the permafrost environment in the construction region and not impact the natural sceneries along the line, such measures are taken as fillings getting their soil from a centralized borrowing pit and the borrowing pit, waste sites are designed to be away from the railway line as far as possible and the vegetation on the surface shall be rehabilitated. As for the cuttings, the subgrade bed is prepared with non-frost-heaving soil with special temperature insulation material mixed in the bed so as not to cause the thawing of the frozen soil and result in subgrade calamities and to guarantee the stability of the frozen soil. And at the same time protection measures are taken to avoid environment risks and reduce impact on the secondary environment. Strict control of the discharge of polluted materials is exercised, corresponding sewage treatment measures taken. Railway stations shall try to use solar energy and electric power and windmill power first as soon as possible.

Do a good job of environment protection supervision.
According to the requirements of the State Administration of Environment Protection, the Environment Protection Bureaus of the Qinghai Province and Tibet Autonomous Region shall respectively sign environment protection target responsibility contract with the constructors of the Qingzang railway, defining the responsibility of each party. The constructor side has established the regulation for environment management and environment supervision and test, and assigned professional staff. Supervision force of the Region and Province shall be strengthened during the whole construction process and periodically inspection of the construction site and the constructor's unit be carried out and ensure that the railway subgrade, bridges and tunnels and installation of stations equipment and the construction site all live up to the requirements.

In order to ensure the implementation of the above protection measures, investment in environment protection is increased by a big margin. Investment in environment projects goes up to 1.2 billion yuan, much higher than that in other railways. What is more, during the alignment selection, investment in construction is also increased due to the fact that other route rather than passing the natural protection zone is taken. We would be only too happy to invest more money and run more routes so as to reduce the impact on environment protection to the minimum.

3. Sanitary and health ensurance work is solid and effective

The low atmospheric pressure, lack of oxygen, high elevation and extremely cold, dry, strong wind and sunshine of the Qingzang plateau cause great impact on people's health and work capacity.

The Ministry of Hygiene and the Ministry of Railways summed up the research results and the practical experience and regulated the regulations of Qingzang railway sanitary and health ensurance and the sanitary and health ensurance measures (tentative). The Ministry of Railways also prepared an education manual of sanitary and health for Qingzang railway. They have educated the staff at the front line on the knowledge oft the plateau environment features, labor protection, main disease protection and site rescue. They have also organized workshops on plateau disease and natural epidemic disease prevention. Both builders and medical staff are well prepared for the sanitary situation in Qingzang plateau.

The builders go through thorough physical check before going onto site. And they will first go to a lower elevation site and then to a higher site so as to get adapted to the environment, which is lack of oxygen. During construction, the work is well organized and timed. The work intensity is strictly controlled. All labor protection articles are prepared in full. Food is prepared according to high elevation standard and the camps are well heated to keep the cold off. There are buses to take them to site and back to camps so as to keep the workers energetic. Periodical check on plaque is organized and supervised. Tunnel machineries for winter construction are well selected and the auxiliary facilities are supplemented.

We shall respect the national customs and habits, cultivate the minority cadres. The Qingzang plateau is a region where many nationalities have lived since very early time. Different nationalities have formulated different kinds of features and traditional cultures in the continuous process of their exchange and melting. In the process of construction, the builders will respect the customs and traditions of the local people to the full. We shall actively cultivate the minority cadres and invite them to participate the operation and management of the railway. Thus the railway will make contribution to the strengthening of the national traditional culture and promotion of the economic development and social progress in the minority region.