China to begin construction of Xinjiang–Tibet rail link near LAC
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China is set to launch construction this year on a major railway project linking Xinjiang province with Tibet, with parts of the route expected to run close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, according to the South China Morning Post.
The Xinjiang-Tibet Railway Company (XTRC) has been formally registered with a capital of 95 billion yuan ($13.2 billion) and will be wholly owned by the China State Railway Group. The project aims to connect Hotan in Xinjiang to Lhasa in Tibet via a new route joining the existing Lhasa–Shigatse line with the planned Hotan–Shigatse section, forming a 2,000 km strategic corridor linking China’s northwestern and southwestern regions.
Analysts say the railway will play a role in China’s defensive positioning along the frontier, which has less infrastructure compared to other parts of the country.
The route will cross some of the most challenging terrain in the world, including the Kunlun, Karakoram, Kailash, and Himalayan mountain ranges, glaciers, frozen rivers, and permafrost, at an average elevation above 4,500 metres. Winter temperatures in these areas can drop to –40°C, with oxygen levels at just 44% of inland regions, posing significant engineering and environmental challenges.
The Xinjiang–Tibet line is part of a broader plan to create a 5,000 km plateau rail network centred on Lhasa by 2035. It is one of four key lines designed to integrate Tibet more closely with the rest of China, alongside existing or ongoing links to Qinghai, Sichuan, and Yunnan.
The project follows other major infrastructure initiatives in the region, including the G219 highway through the disputed Aksai Chin area — a flashpoint in the 1962 Sino-Indian war — and the construction of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra River, which has raised concerns in India and Bangladesh.
Planning for the Xinjiang–Tibet railway began in 2008, with survey and design tenders for the Hotan–Shigatse section launched in May 2022. The Ministry of Transport confirmed in April that work would commence in 2025. The XTRC’s mandate also includes real estate development, tourism, catering, accommodation, and international project contracting.
The timing of the project coincides with a recent thaw in India–China relations after a prolonged standoff in Eastern Ladakh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met last year in Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, and Modi is expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting later this month.
