Construction of the Lhasa terminal station of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway was completed on Tuesday, less
than a fortnight ahead of its scheduled opening.
Railway chiefs are keeping operational details of the two-storey
building under wraps until the official opening on July 1.
It is known that the station is the largest on the line and is
3,600 meters above sea level. It is located in a new area of the
city on the south bank of the Lhasa River, 30 kilometers from the
Potala Palace.
Zhang Zhancheng, secretary of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Project
Command Headquarters of the China Railway Construction Engineering
Group, said the architectural style was a combination of Tibetan
traditional and modern elements. The main colors of the station
were the traditional Tibetan white and red, the colors of the hada
ceremonial cloth and temples.
Since May 10, more than 5,000 workers struggled to ensure its
completion before the July 1 opening ceremony. Decoration of the
building and construction of the square and platform are all
finished.
Environmentally-friendly solar power is being used for heating
facilities.
However Zhang declined to reveal details such as how many
passengers the station could accommodate. "You will know that on
July 1," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2006)