Construction of the Lhasa terminal station of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway was completed on Tuesday, less than a fortnight ahead of its scheduled opening.

 

Railway chiefs are keeping operational details of the two-storey building under wraps until the official opening on July 1.

 

It is known that the station is the largest on the line and is 3,600 meters above sea level. It is located in a new area of the city on the south bank of the Lhasa River, 30 kilometers from the Potala Palace.

 

Zhang Zhancheng, secretary of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Project Command Headquarters of the China Railway Construction Engineering Group, said the architectural style was a combination of Tibetan traditional and modern elements. The main colors of the station were the traditional Tibetan white and red, the colors of the hada ceremonial cloth and temples.

 

Since May 10, more than 5,000 workers struggled to ensure its completion before the July 1 opening ceremony. Decoration of the building and construction of the square and platform are all finished.

 

Environmentally-friendly solar power is being used for heating facilities.

 

However Zhang declined to reveal details such as how many passengers the station could accommodate. "You will know that on July 1," he said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2006)