Strong transportation capacity, smooth running, stable stopping. The Qinghai Tibet Railway will enter the era of high-speed trains
CCTV News: After the improvement project of the Xige section of the Qinghai Tibet Railway is completed, the Fuxing high-speed train will be officially launched and put into operation. Compared to the previously operated conventional trains, in what aspects has the Fuxing high-speed train improved? What kind of changes will it bring to the travel of local residents?
The Xining Golmud section of the Qinghai Tibet Railway is the main channel for railway passenger and freight transportation in the Qinghai Tibet region. Construction began in 1958 and it was put into operation in 1984. Due to limited construction conditions at that time, it underwent multiple renovations and upgrades. In response to the environmental characteristics such as large temperature differences and sandstorms on the plateau, the newly launched Fuxing high-speed train adopts a wind and sand resistant structure for its air conditioning system, and the heating system is also adjusted adaptively to the temperature differences on the plateau. The body color scheme adopts three tones: Chinese Huai green, Chinese red, and Great Wall gray. The whole car has 9 carriages, which can accommodate more than 600 passengers. After official operation, there will be 4 high-speed trains running daily between Xining and Golmud to meet the travel needs of passengers.
The reporter learned from China Railway Qinghai Tibet Group Co., Ltd. that from January to May 2023, the Xige section of the Qinghai Tibet Railway sent a total of 1.111 million passengers, a year-on-year increase of 51.62%. Among them, Xining, Delingha, and Golmud stations have the highest number of passengers sent. Xining sends around 1000 passengers daily directly to Golmud, and reaches peak passenger flow on weekends. Most passengers are mainly commuters and migrant workers.
As Qinghai Tibet tourism enters its peak season, the number of tourists is also constantly increasing. In the future, after the official operation of the Fuxing high-speed train, the riding experience of railway travel will be further optimized.
Running smoothly and stopping steadily, the high-speed car accelerates to overcome the impact of high-altitude environment
From a speed of 140 kilometers per hour to 160 kilometers per hour, although the speed increase is not significant, the operation of the Fuxing high-speed train requires renovation of the roadbed, bridges, contact network and other facilities along the railway to overcome the impact of plateau environment on railway construction and ensure smooth and smooth operation of the high-speed train.
The Xige section of the Qinghai Tibet Railway passes through the Qinghai Lake region, and this section has abundant groundwater resources. In winter, as the temperature drops, the groundwater under the railway track subgrade freezes, causing the subgrade to freeze and swell, which can easily cause deformation of the railway track. Faced with the technical difficulty of frost damage to the roadbed, the railway department has taken different measures to rectify it. The construction personnel fully utilized the high altitude, long sunshine time, and fast light and heat conversion characteristics of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau to lay heat absorbing devices along the railway tracks. They insulated the roadbed through connected heat pipes and put a layer of "cold clothing" on the railway tracks. In addition, construction workers set up drainage pipes on both sides of the railway tracks to drain the water that seeps into the roadbed, and use professional equipment to remove the soil mixed with railway gravel to prevent soil compaction and loss of elasticity of the railway tracks. These measures effectively improve the smoothness of the line and ensure smooth train operation.
At the same time, the railway department is also strengthening passenger transportation facilities at stations along the line to ensure the smooth stopping of the Fuxing high-speed train.
Entering the newly built Haiyan Station building, the reporter saw that the construction workers were carrying out the final decoration work. The entire station building is approximately 2000 square meters and can accommodate 200 passengers waiting for trains. The design of the station building is inspired by the color and terrain of the Qilian Mountains, reflecting the unique geographical environment of the area.
In addition, in response to the operational needs of the Fuxing high-speed train, the railway department has also built new platform canopies, increased platform heights, and updated and improved supporting protective fences, drainage ditches, and wind and sand prevention equipment to reduce the impact of wind and sand weather on the high-speed train.
