Reaching a maximum altitude of just over 5,000m, the new Qinghai-Tibet railway passenger carriages pump oxygen inside compartments and have UV filters on the windows to cut the glare in the thin air.
The new track, which began operating on July 2, links Lhasa to the existing network of railroad tracks in China. Now passengers can depart Beijing by rail and arrive in Lhasa 48 hours later.
- 960km tracks are above 4,000m
- highest point is Tanggula Mountain Pass at 16,630 feet (5,072m). This is 200m higher than the Peruvian railroad in the Andes, former title holder of the world's highest railroad.
- Max 100km/hour on frozen earth
- Max 120km/hour on un-frozen earth
One way from Beijing to Lhasa
- $50 for hard seat
- $160 for soft-sleeper in 4-person compartment


