BEIJING, October 2025 — China is launching a major infrastructure project by commencing construction on a monumental railway connecting Hotan in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Known formally as the Xinjiang–Tibet Railway, this line spans approximately 1,980 km (1,230 miles) and is recognized as one of the country’s most ambitious rail projects.

Estimated total investment in the project is 400 billion yuan (about US$56.2 billion), making it among the most expensive railway ventures in China’s history. Analysts cite the cost at around 200 million yuan per kilometre. Construction is expected to commence imminently, after the establishment of a special state-owned enterprise, the Xinjiang–Tibet Railway Company, with registered capital of 95 billion yuan.

The route poses extreme engineering challenges: it traverses high-altitude plateaus averaging elevations above 4,500 metres (14,764 feet), glaciers, mountain ranges and permafrost terrain conditions that justify its description as a “project of the century.” Beyond commercial passenger and freight transport, the project holds strategic importance for Beijing in linking its north-western and south-western regions, improving regional connectivity and bolstering border infrastructure near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.

As part of a broader effort, the railway complements other planned lines intended to integrate Tibet into China’s national rail network. It illustrates the country’s commitment to modernizing remote regions and strengthening infrastructure in challenging environments.

Source: Tibetan Review