Qinghai-Tibet Railway Carries Record-high Passengers in 2018

The world’s highest and longest plateau railroad, Qinghai-Tibet Railway, carried around 16.56 million passengers in 2018.

That’s a 10 percent increase from the same period last year and a new record since operations began in 2006.

The railway delivered 34 million tons of cargo in 2018, up 5.8 percent from 2017, according to the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company. In the past 12 years, the railways have transported 182 million passengers and 552 million tons of goods.

The rail capacity has improved significantly since the completion of the expanded Golmud-Lhasa section last August. New management and mechanisms were introduced to improve efficiency.

The railway company also operates extra or temporary trains to meet growing demand for tickets during peak hours.

The improvement of transport capacity is a catalyst for the social and economic development of the Tibet autonomous region and qinghai province, as well as a driving force for the development of tourism in Tibet.