Train across the roof of the world for $49

BEIJING: It will take 48 hours and $49 for a person to travel from Beijing to Lhasa along the world’s highest railway line which is to be formally opened for passenger service on July 1.

The much-anticipated fares and schedules for the Qinghai-Tibet Railway were unveiled here on Monday. The travel time from the Chinese capital to Lhasa in Tibet will be 48 hours and a the ticket will cost a minimum of 389 yuan ($49, Rs 2205) for a hard seat.

While a hard sleeper will cost $102, a soft sleeper ticket is priced at $158. The most expensive ticket is priced at about half the fare of an air ticket at $318. Trains will run between Lhasa and three cities — Beijing, Chengdu/Chongqing and Xining/Lanzhou, the Ministry of Railway said on Monday.

The world’s highest and longest plateau railroad will also have two oxygen supply systems on trains to combat the effects of altitude sickness on passengers. With an investment of $2.96 billion, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is by far the longest plateau railway with the highest altitude in the world.