Tibet train runs safely into winter
By Xin Dingding (China Daily)Updated: 2006-12-06 08:56
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest rail line, is running safely
and in stable condition two months after winter descended on the Qinghai-Tibet
Plateau.
"Our inspections have shown that the track bed is in stable and
accountable condition. There have been only minor changes as the ground has
frozen, which the design allows for," said Xu Yongshuang, deputy manager of the
Qinghai-Tibet Railway, as quoted by Xinhua News Agency.
Signals and snow
melting equipment along the line are all operational, he added.
Winter
safety has been a key concern for the railway. Some 1,100-kilometres of the
track are at altitudes above 4,000 metres, and the line crosses 550 kilometres
of permafrost.
Temperature changes could potentially alter the shape of
the permafrost, threatening the stability of the rail bed and raising the
possibility of accidents.
Xu said problems like unstable permafrost could
arise in the railway's first winter. To offset the likelihood of an accident,
the company has drafted emergency plans in case problems occur on the rail line
during the winter months.
For example, spare locomotives positioned at
major railway stations along the line can be dispatched to replace
malfunctioning locomotives in one or two hours. Local governments will also be
involved in any rescue effort in the event of an emergency.
Since
October, railway departments have stepped up inspections and maintenance along
the line to ensure trains run safely across the world's highest
plateau.
Wang Yingxian, a senior railway engineer at the Northwest
Research Institute under the China Railway Engineering Group, told China Daily
that the 550 kilometres of track sitting on top of frozen ground were constantly
being monitored with the aid of electronic sensors.
"The tracks on frozen
ground are under automatic inspection, which means we receive around-the-clock
data on weather and ground temperature," Wang said.
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