Step up work on Tibet rail line, Xi instructs officials

Beijing, November 8

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday instructed officials to expedite the construction of the new $47.8-billion railway project connecting the country's southwest Sichuan province to Linzhi in Tibet close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh, saying it would play a key role in safeguarding stability in the border areas.

The Sichuan-Tibet railway will be the second railway line into Tibet after the Qinghai-Tibet railway project. The Sichuan-Tibet Railway starts from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, travels through Ya'an and enters Tibet via Qamdo, shortening the journey from Chengdu to Lhasa from 48 hours to 13 hours.

Linzhi, also known as Nyingchi, is located close to India’s Arunachal Pradesh border. — PTI