Lhasa - Nyingchi Railway

Lhasa-Nyingchi railway is a High-speed electrified railway connecting Lhasa and Nyingchi in the Tibet Autonomous Region, which is an important part of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway. This railway started construction on December 19, 2014, and was put into operation on June 25, 2021. The total length is 435.48 kilometers, and the design speed is 160 kilometers per hour.

It starts from Xierong Station(the intersection of Lhasa-Shigatse railway and Lhasa-Nyingchi railway), goes along the Lhasa River, turns east via Gonggar, passes through Shannan, Lang County, and Milin County finally crosses the Yarlung Zangbo River to Nyingchi Station.

Lhasa-Nyingchi railway connects two of the most important stations of Tibet Travel and shortens the ride time from the original 8 hours to 3 hours, which improved the traffic conditions greatly.

Route Overview

The Lhasa to Nyingchi Railway is located in the valley of southeastern Tibet between the Kailas Mountain Range and the Himalayas on the Tibetan Plateau, with the highest altitude of 3,700 meters. More than 90% of the lines are above 3000 meters above sea level. It crosses the Yarlung Zangbo River 16 times. Along the railway, there're high mountains and deep valleys, with a relative elevation difference of 2,500 meters. The difficulty of building a railway on the Tibetan Plateau can be imagined.

The railway leads from the Xierong Station of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway goes south through the Kailas Range, enters the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, and passes eastward through Shannan's Chanang County, Nedong District, Sangri County, Jiacha County, and Nyingchi's Lang County, Milin County, then follows the Niyang River straight to Nyingchi City. The mainline is 403.144 kilometers long.

Lhasa - Nyingchi Train Schedule and Ticket Info

The Lhasa - Nyingchi Railway connects the most densely populated place in Tibet. There's a total of 37 stations (including the three stations of Lhasa, Lhasa South, and Baide). Among them, 34 new stations are newly built, and 17 stations are initially opened, including 9 stations for passenger and cargo transportation in Gonggar, Chanang, Shannan, Sangri, Jiacha, Lang, Milin, Ganggar, and Nyingchi, as well as the 8 concession stations of Zhaqi, Woka, Bayu, Redang, Remi, Xiacho, Jiazhu, and Kangsa. Right now, the train tickets start selling 5 days prior.

Lhasa to Nyingchi Train Schedule

Nyingchi to Lhasa Train Schedule

Attractions Along the Railway

There are abundant tourism resources along the Lhasa - Nyingchi Railway. This rail line includes the essence of the scenery in southeastern Tibet, including mountains, rivers, lakes, villages, temples, and snow-capped mountains.

Gonggar Station: Gonggar County is where Yamdrok Lake is located. Regarded as the most beautiful lake, Yamdrok Lake is also one of the three holy lakes in Tibet.

Chanang Station: Get off at the "Chanang Station" and you can visit the first temple in Tibet history - Samye Monastery, as well as Chanang Desert.

Shannan Station: Shannan is the birthplace of Tibetans and the cradle of Tibetan culture, with a long history. Here you can see Yumbulagang, the first palace in Tibet and Trandruk Monastery, one of the earliest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet.

Sangri Station: The main attractions here include Dansatti Temple, Woka Hot Spring, Dagu Canyon, Red Deer Nature Reserve, etc.

Jiacha Station: The most legendary lake in Tibet "Lhamo La-tso" is located here. Buddhism believers hold the view that they can see their past lives showing on the surface of the lake.

Lang County Station: Lang County, a quiet place on the banks of the Yarlung Zangbo River, where there is the only glacier on the eastern Tibet ring - the Bobo Lang Glacier, at an altitude of 5600 meters above sea level.

Nyingchi Station: Nyingchi station is about 19 kilometers away from the urban area. The main attractions in the surrounding area include Gala Peach Blossom Village and Lulang Forest. Near the urban area, there are Biri holy mountain(National forest park), Niyang Pavilion, World Cypress King Park, Cuomujiri Scenic Area, etc.