Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Author: Ren Xigui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway must face a very special natural environment: on the 1142-kilometer line, the altitude is almost entirely above 3000 meters. The section exceeding 4000 meters is 960 kilometers long, and there are over 50 kilometers exceeding 5000 meters. There is also a 131-kilometer stretch of an ancient, desolate uninhabited area. The high altitude presents a major challenge to the construction forces in terms of harsh living conditions:
First, the low atmospheric pressure and low oxygen content. The atmospheric pressure drops by 36 to 45 percent compared to sea level, and the partial pressure of oxygen in the air is 38 to 46 percent lower than at sea level. Hypoxia causes dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, shortness of breath, irritability, reduced appetite, sleep disturbances, and overall fatigue. Severe hypoxia can easily lead to life-threatening high-altitude cerebral edema.
Second, the low temperature. The average annual temperature is around -5°C, with extreme low temperatures reaching around -45.2°C across the entire line. The diurnal temperature difference can be as high as 30°C. Cold can easily cause frostbite on exposed parts of the body, while the extreme temperature fluctuations can easily lead to colds. In the lowlands, colds are a common "minor illness," but in high-altitude areas, they are a significant risk factor for pulmonary edema, a deadly condition.
Third, strong winds and dryness, with extremely high wind speeds. The average relative humidity here is only around 50 percent, but the maximum wind speed can exceed 30 meters per second. Severe dryness and strong winds cause significant evaporation of body fluids, easily leading to blood thickening and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Additionally, the solar radiation and ultraviolet (UV) rays are 1.5 to 2.5 times stronger than at sea level, making it easy for outdoor workers to suffer sunburn, resulting in symptoms such as peeling and blisters. UV exposure can also damage the cornea, causing snow blindness.
Moreover, the areas through which the Qinghai-Tibet Railway passes may be prone to outbreaks of infectious diseases such as plague. All of these factors pose a significant threat to the health, safety, and working capacity of the construction personnel. It can almost be said that this is a "forbidden zone for human survival."
Before the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway began, some people worried that if the construction of the railway was compared to building a new Great Wall, would hundreds or thousands of "Meng Jiangnu weeping over the Great Wall" emerge under such harsh conditions? This concern was not groundless or baseless!
Let’s look back at the historical scene and visit the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Golmud City, Qinghai Province. The rows of graves in this cemetery are filled with the young lives lost while rebuilding the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, laying the oil pipeline from Golmud to Lhasa, and constructing the first phase of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Look at the ages on these tombstones: 18, 19, 20—almost all young people in the prime of life.
After the second suspension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway project, over 90 percent of the soldiers from the 10th Railway Engineering Corps who built a 483-meter permafrost embankment test section on Fenghuo Mountain suffered from pulmonary artery hypertension and high-altitude erythrocytosis.
People have not forgotten the white skeletal remains left by the Northwest Military Region’s three major transport missions into Tibet.
People have not forgotten that in the early days of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway’s operation, more than 30 young soldiers died each year in every motor transport unit.
People have not forgotten the folk saying that terrified travelers along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway:
"Reaching Xidatann, tears never dry,"
"Reaching Kunlun Mountain, like entering the gates of hell,"
"Reaching Wudaoliang, hard to see father and mother,"
"Reaching Tanggula, death’s hand reaches out."
P108-110