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China’s new bullet trains in Tibet run close to disputed Indian border
- High-speed railway line stretches between Lhasa and Nyingchi, less than 16km from the de facto frontier
- Observers say it will have a big impact on the region’s development and will also be used for military transport
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A new high-speed railway line began operating in Tibet on Friday, taking passengers from the regional capital Lhasa to the eastern city of Nyingchi, close to China’s disputed border with India.
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It is the first electrified railway line in Tibet and bullet trains will travel the route at 160km (99 miles) per hour – the fastest in the mountainous region.
The 435km (270-mile) journey between Lhasa and Nyingchi will take 3½ hours.
Nyingchi is a frontier town located less than 16km (10 miles) from the de facto border between China and India. The new railway line comes as China and India are speeding up construction of infrastructure on either side of the border, where heightened tensions led to a deadly clash between soldiers in June last year in the Galwan Valley.
Zhang Li, a professor with the Institute of South Asian Studies at Sichuan University, said the bullet trains would have a big impact on the region.
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“Transport in southern Tibet wasn’t too convenient before, so the new railway will be of great significance not only for the development of Tibet but it will also have a far-reaching impact on the situation at the China-India border,” Zhang said.
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