China extends Tibet railway network

Work started on an extension of the railway network connecting Tibet with the rest of the nation, Chinese state media said.

The Xinhua News Agency said the line will link the Tibetan capital of Lhasa with the region’s second largest city of Shigatse.

The 157-mile project is expected to take four years to complete.

China opened the line from Beijing to Lhasa in 2006 as part of a push to develop the Himalayan region’s infrastructure.

Beijing next year plans to open the world’s highest altitude airport in Tibet at Nagqu Dagring, located at 14,553 feet.