Amidst foreign media reports that over 10 serious incidents
concerning the Qinghai-Tibet Railway were covered up, an
official from the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company dismissed these as
groundless.
Vice General Manager Zhu Huaxin said on June 28, "Over the past
year, the railway has always put safety, punctuality and passenger
comfort front and center given the extreme plateau conditions."
A train runs on the
Qinghai-Tibet Railway on Lhasa River Bridge.
The railway crosses over 550-km of frozen tundra on the
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Combined with being the highest railway in
the world and the prolonged periods it must endure as it crosses
inhospitable surroundings, safety has been a major issue for the
railway's staff.
Zhu explained that by overcoming various difficulties and
challenges including frozen soil, protecting the environment and
guaranteeing medical safety through innovation and skill, the
railway had successfully navigated its first year of operation.
The plateau's permafrost created a specific set of threats to
track stability, explained Zhu, adding that during the
construction, experts had established measures that prevented the
soil from thawing and being unstable.
He revealed that certain roadbeds had cracked, along with a few
concrete structures and bridges, in August last year, but that
these had been swiftly repaired by the Ministry of Railways.
Over the year, a long-term observation system was set up in the
frozen soil areas to report on the permafrost. "The roadbeds in
this section are gradually becoming stable, and the soil has
withstood the test of both summer and winter," Zhu said.
Currently, the Golmud-Lhasa and the Xining-Golmud sections have
performed excellently, achieving a service reliability ratio of
99.6 percent and 92.1 percent respectively.
"There was only one restaurant car derailment, but it was an
equipment problem and was handled properly," said Zhu of the only
incident he addressed.
Qinghai Province was the first nationwide to
pass legislation concerning railway meteorology safety which will
help defend against meteorological disasters, especially given the
line's high automation level. Furthermore, the province's
wide-ranging information monitoring management network and video
monitoring system are further shields against harm or damage.
Qinghai-Tibet Railway Co. also maintained teams on a constant
state of readiness and is thoroughly training staff in all
necessary areas. It is also pushing for reform and consolidation on
equipment quality, protection facilities, construction
organization, railway material management, and employees' working
practices. Local governments whose jurisdiction the line traverses
have also upheld the law by combating criminal activities such as
attacking trains with stones and stealing railway equipment.
In closing, a three-level medical service system covers the
entire line, said Zhu. This encompasses field medical facilities,
and a mobile medical system, backed up by hospitals.
July 1, 2007 marks the first anniversary of the line's opening
to traffic.
(China.org.cn by Li Jingrong, July 2, 2007)
