Looking from the imposing Potala Palace into the Lhasa River Valley, one glimpses a white bridge far in the distance. For the moment, it is empty. But soon, trains will be rolling across and into the brand new train station now under construction on the opposite bank. A whole new quarter of Lhasa is appearing out of nowhere.
Arriving by train in Tibet — the Roof of the World — has long captured many an imagination, most notably that of Mao Zedong. For decades, though, the project was prohibitively expensive and intimidatingly complicated. But, now it’s quickly becoming reality. Indeed, construction workers have completed the last stretch of track of what will become the highest altitude railroad in the world.
The article also includes a photo gallery of the train line.
