{"id":19516,"date":"2026-07-01T17:22:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T11:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eng.dragonmedia.com.np\/?p=19516"},"modified":"2026-07-01T17:22:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T11:37:42","slug":"qinghai-xizang-railway-marks-20-years-as-scientific-monitoring-secures-the-sky-road-across-frozen-plateau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eng.dragonmedia.com.np\/?p=19516","title":{"rendered":"Qinghai-Xizang Railway Marks 20 Years as Scientific Monitoring Secures the \u2018Sky Road\u2019 Across Frozen Plateau<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Beijing. As the Qinghai-Xizang Railway marks 20 years of operation, technicians and researchers stationed in western China\u2019s high-altitude frozen lands continue their tireless work to ensure railway safety and support the long-term benefits the line has brought to the plateau region.<\/p>\n

At Fenghuoshan, on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau at an altitude of about 4,750 meters, fierce winds, thin oxygen and temperatures that can fall to minus 40 degrees Celsius are part of daily life. A small observation station located a few hundred meters from the railway tracks has been monitoring the condition of the permafrost beneath the line, helping safeguard what is widely known as the \u201cSky Road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of the railway\u2019s operation. It is also a meaningful milestone for the Fenghuoshan observation station, which has built a 65-year scientific legacy through the dedication of generations of researchers and technicians.<\/p>\n

Every morning, technicians put on thick protective clothing and begin their routine patrols, inspecting equipment, checking sensors and collecting permafrost data. Rain, snowstorms and strong winds have never interrupted this work. According to technician Wang Jinrong, the data reflects the most authentic changes in the permafrost. Missing even one day, he said, would mean losing a genuine part of the scientific record.<\/p>\n

Permafrost was one of the greatest engineering challenges in the construction of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway. Of the railway\u2019s total length of 1,956 kilometers, about 550 kilometers run through continuous permafrost zones. In winter, frozen ground expands, while in summer it thaws and sinks. These seasonal changes can cause the railway subgrade to rise and fall, affecting track stability and, in severe cases, threatening safe operations.<\/p>\n

Fenghuoshan, named after the iron oxide that colors its slopes red, is considered one of the most representative and sensitive permafrost sections along the entire railway route. In 1961, researchers from the Northwest Research Institute under the China Railway Engineering Group established the permafrost observation station there.<\/p>\n

During the early stages of construction, pioneering scientists and technicians lived in tents, drank icy water and endured extreme cold while conducting permafrost observation and engineering tests. Over four generations, they have accumulated nearly 40 million sets of observational data. These records have supported technological breakthroughs that made the railway possible in such a harsh environment.<\/p>\n

The story of Fenghuoshan is not only one of scientific achievement, but also of personal dedication and sacrifice. A short distance from the station stands the grave of Wang Zhanji, a former head of the station who devoted his life to permafrost research. Before he died of illness in 1980, he expressed a final wish to be buried in a place overlooking the railway.<\/p>\n

His wife later sent their son to take part in railway construction, but she also passed away before the line was completed. The family\u2019s long-held wish was fulfilled on July 1, 2006, when the Qinghai-Xizang Railway became fully operational. Every train that now passes the site carries forward their legacy.<\/p>\n

For researchers, the opening of the railway was not the end of the mission, but the beginning of a new stage of research. Climate change and rising global temperatures are gradually altering the condition of the plateau\u2019s permafrost, creating new challenges for ground stability and railway foundations.<\/p>\n

Today, the observation station has moved from paper-based records to a smart monitoring system. More than 200 sensors monitor 544 kilometers of permafrost sections along the railway. Yet researchers say human inspection remains essential. Instruments can show changes in data, but technicians still need to see the real situation on the ground with their own eyes.<\/p>\n

Researcher Cheng Jia said permafrost research requires on-site observation. Since completing his master\u2019s degree in 2009, he has spent much of his career moving between the Fenghuoshan station and different railway sections. According to him, only by going to the site can researchers identify problems and find solutions.<\/p>\n

Technologies developed at Fenghuoshan are no longer limited to the railway itself. Thermal pipes, roadbed cooling systems and other permafrost-stabilizing technologies are now being applied to other high-altitude projects in China and beyond.<\/p>\n

Over the past 20 years, the Qinghai-Xizang Railway has transformed the region. It has carried more than 100 million passengers and 824 million tonnes of cargo, contributing to economic and social development across the plateau. Since becoming fully operational on July 1, 2006, the railway has connected Xining with Lhasa and brought Xizang into the railway era.<\/p>\n

Local railway worker Lhapa Tsering said the railway is more than an engineering marvel. For local communities, it has become a lifeline, expanding access to trade, tourism, employment, healthcare, education and markets.<\/p>\n

Known as the world\u2019s highest railway, the Qinghai-Xizang Railway has overcome extreme altitude, oxygen scarcity, fragile ecology and permafrost challenges, standing as a major example of modern China\u2019s infrastructure capability. The Fenghuoshan Tunnel, part of the railway, is also recognized as one of the world\u2019s highest railway tunnels, located at an altitude of 4,905 meters.<\/p>\n

As the Qinghai-Xizang Railway completes two decades of operation, the scientists and technicians at Fenghuoshan remain firmly at their posts. Their data, dedication and decades-long effort have not only helped ensure safe railway operations on frozen highland ground, but have also demonstrated the power of science, perseverance and innovation under some of the world\u2019s harshest natural conditions.<\/p>\n

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