BEIJING, August 2025 — The newly established Xinjiang–Xizang Railway Co. Ltd. marks a pivotal step in advancing one of China’s most ambitious transportation undertakings. Registered in Lhasa with a substantial 95 billion yuan (US$13.22 billion) in capital, the company will spearhead all aspects of the Hotan–Lhasa rail corridor from rail construction, engineering oversight, infrastructure manufacturing, and public rail operations to ancillary sectors like real estate, tourism, catering, and accommodation. The firm is solely owned by the China State Railway Group.

This venture is part of the Ministry of Transport's 2025 Plan for Major Projects, designed to bolster China into a global transportation leader. The railway features prominently among the 45 key projects outlined in this national strategic blueprint.

At a Ministry of Transport press briefing in April, Jin Jingdong, deputy director of the Planning Department, emphasized the acceleration of preparatory work, noting that initial surveying has been completed, with construction slated to commence before year-end.

Once built, the route will extend from Hotan in Xinjiang to Shigatse and Lhasa in Tibet, forging a vital northwest-to-southwest artery. It will interlink with four other strategic rail corridors connecting Tibet to Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and Yunnan strengthening regional connectivity and reinforcing economic, cultural, and tourism integration.