China begins extension of Tibet railway

BEIJING: China has begun work on an extension of the railway network connecting Tibet with the rest of the country, state media reported on Monday.

The spur line will link the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, with the region's second-largest city, Shigatse, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The 157-mile (253-kilometer) project is expected to take four years to complete and has a budget of 13.3 bn yuan ($1.95 bn), Xinhua said.

China opened the trunk line from Beijing to Lhasa in 2006 as part of a push to develop the Himalayan region's infrastructure. Beijing plans to open the world's highest-altitude airport next year in Tibet at Nagqu Dagring, located at 14,553 feet (4,436 meters).

Beijing says such developments aim to encourage economic growth and raise living standards in the long-isolated region. Critics also point to the political benefits of cementing transportation links with an area that has been only marginally under Beijing's control for the past four centuries, since Chinese rule was first asserted.