Luxury Beijing to Lhasa train planned by China
Tuesday, 11 Mar 2008 11:50
A luxury train service between Beijing and the Tibetan capital of Lhasa is to be launched in September, Chinese state media has reported.
Running on the 1,142km railway to the Himalayas which opened in July 2006, officials have claimed it will be "the most luxurious train in the world".
The general manager of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Corporation said the "interior of the train will be decorated according to the standards of a five-star hotel" and the train will carry only 96 passengers.
The five-day journey will run every eight days and each of the 12 passenger cars will contain four ten-square-metre suites featuring a double bed, a living room and bathroom facilities.
Critics of the railway fear its impact on Tibet's culture and environment. China has occupied Tibet since 1950.