Friday, August 21, 2009

China moves closer to building Lhasa-Xigaze railway

Lhasa,August20:After finishing the 1,956-km Qinghai-Tibet Railway on Jul 1, 2006, China has completed preliminary preparations for the building of its 250-km Lhasa-Xigaze extension, reported China’s official China Daily online Aug 20. Xigaze is the second largest of Tibet Autonomous Region with a population of 80,000, with many of its urban residents being new Chinese immigrants.

China’s eventual plan is to extent the railway to Nyingtri and from there to Dromo (Yatung), a town bordering the Indian state of Sikkim.

There have also been suggestions that the railway network may be extended into the neighbouring countries of Nepal and Pakistan. The railway remains a matter of great strategic concern to India.