In recent days, the whole tourism circle has been go around spreading two good news: the first one is that additional trains are running between Lhasa, Xining and Shigatse for the peak tourist season in Tibet this summer, the other is that the bullet train from Xining to Xi'an and Taiyuan is put into operation since July 1!
Since July 1, 2006 when the whole line of Qinghai-Tibet Railway was put into operation, countless people have taken trains of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, also called "the Way to Heaven", to realize their Tibetan dreams. However, this railway is really too popular, especially in the peak tourist season, so it is very difficult to get even one ticket. At such time, tourists who want to get to Tibet may only choose to fly to Tibet.
The two good news in July indicate that the road access to and from Tibet has been widened again, which greatly facilitates the train journey to Tibet for tourists. It is like a good rain after a long drought for the peak season in Tibet this summer. Time is coming!
Since July 2017, there are extra trains from Lhasa to Xining and Shigatse in peak tourist season in Tibet!
At present, in the peak tourist season in Tibet, scenic spots like Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Yamdrok Lake and Mount Everest attract a large number of tourists every day, and the number of tourists entering and leaving Tibet continues to rise. In such season, Lhasa Railway Station loads more than 6,000 passengers every day, which is really an astonishing quantity.
We learned from the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company on July 2 that in order to meet demands of the peak tourist season in Tibet and provide convenience for passengers, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company added trains from Xining to Lhasa and Lhasa to Shigatse. Details of the newly-added trains are as follows.
From July 1 to August 20, Z6811 Xining to Lhasa Train will start to run
From July 2 to August 21, Z6812 Lhasa to Xining Train will be added
From July 1 to August 18, Z9815 Xining to Lhasa Train will start to run
From July 3 to August 20, Z9816 Lhasa to Xining Train will start to run
With the addition of trains, there are 12 trains heading to and leaving from Lhasa and Xining every day. As long as you get ready in time, it will be no longer a big problem to get to and leave from Lhasa and Xining.
From July 1 to July 31, Z8801/2 and Z8803/4 Lhasa to Shigatse Trains will start to run. It takes only three hours to get to Shigatse from Lhasa.
The addtion of trains greatly meets demands of tourists during the peak tourist season, and makes it more convenient for them to travel between Xining, Lhasa and Shigatse.
In addition, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Interests has warned that the summer rush will start next month when the Tibetan trains will be in a shortage. Passengers with travel plans are advised to consult excellent local travel agencies in Tibet in advance for specific information. For information on temporary additional passenger trains, please visit our official website and contact our travel consultants to keep abreast of the latest status and arrange the itinerary reasonably.
Xining is a very important transfer station for train travel to or out of Tibet. Many tourists would choose to get to or leave Tibet by train departing from Beijing through Xining, while the operation of this line gives tourists more choices to get to Xining.
Since 0:00 on July 1, 2017, the national railway has implemented a new train operation diagram. Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company has optimized the train operation structure according to the passenger flow rules in the jurisdiction and plans to add multiple EMU trains. Now it takes only 4 hours for tourists to shuttle between Xi'an and Xining. The operation of this line provides great convenience for tourists to get to Tibet from Xining or leave Tibet.
(1) Adding several EMU trains from Xining to Xi'an, including D2686/91, D2692/99, D2688/97, D2685/94, D2689/98, D2693/90,D2687/96
(2) Adding D2695 EMU train from Xi'an to Xining
(3) Adding D2569/70 EMU train from Xining to Taiyuan South Station
At the same time, in view of the fact that the Qinghai Tibet Plateau greats its peak tourist season and the number of passengers travelling in summer will increase, Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company has recently opened a number of passenger trains, cultural tourism trains, intercity trains and special tourism trains to Tibet, which provides passengers with more diversified travel options.
All in all, after these two lines are opened, tourists have more choices on transfer lines, and it is no longer so difficult to travel in peak season. This is a rare change, and the golden season for Tibet tour is also fleeting. Don't hesitate, let's take this opportunity to start the long-awaited journey to Tibet!
Published on July 1, 2017, last updated on December 30, 2019.
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