Tibet's governor praises plans for 2nd railway line to Lhasa

BEIJING – Tibet's governor says a second railway being planned to the Tibetan capital will bring even greater prosperity to the Himalayan region.

First announced last week, the 1,800-kilometer (1,120-mile) line would link Lhasa with the western metropolis of Chengdu with an estimated 13-hour travel time.

Few other details are known, but Tibet's governor, Losang Jamcan, said Monday during a meeting of Tibetan delegates to China's National People's Congress that Tibet's regional government considers the project important to maintaining high growth and improving living standards.

The second railway would complement a 1,956-kilometer (1,215-mile) line that opened in 2006 and crosses passes as high as 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). That line has brought a new wave of Chinese tourists and migrants, while also facilitating the deployment of troops and military equipment to Lhasa.