Beijing, December 3 – The Chinese military has started using the strategic Qinghai-Tibet railway to transport troops to and from the remote Himalayan region, marking a milestone in military transportation history on the plateau.
Hundreds of Chinese servicemen demobilised in Tibet used the Qinghai-Tibet railway to go home at the weekend, Xinhua news agency reported today.
The ex-soldiers took a train, which left Lhasa, regional capital of Tibet, on Saturday for Chengdu, capital of the southwestern Sichuan province.
Liu Hanbin, an ex-soldier from Yunnan province, said the train was the most economical transport off the plateau.
“It costs more than 50 US dollars and takes four days to go from Lhasa to Chengdu by bus and a flight can cost 206 US dollars. But a train hard seat costs just 37.5 US dollars,” he said.
In the past, the People’s Liberation Army stationed in Tibet relied on road and air transport for personnel and materials. The development is strategically significant to India.
The 1,956-km railway, which has cut transport costs by 70 per cent for local trades, is expected to play an important role in national defence, the report noted.
Liu said he felt quite comfortable on the train as he could breathe fresh air and appreciate the scenery.
Trains on the railway are all equipped with oxygen dispersion systems and inhalers. The former adds oxygen to the air gradually and the latter is used to overcome altitude sickness. The Armymen were also provided with meals, games, books and magazines.
