With strong support from national authorities and local governments, railway departments are advancing preliminary work on the "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" high-speed rail network's main corridors and several projects aimed at addressing infrastructure gaps and strengthening hubs. The electrification upgrade of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway's Golmud to Lhasa section (referred to as the "Golmud-Lhasa Section Electrification Upgrade") is a key project among these. The initiative is currently accelerating the handling of necessary procedures and preliminary design approvals, with the goal of commencing construction as soon as possible. This information was recently released by the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as "China Railway").
External Power Support Project Initiated
A source from China Railway's Construction Management Department revealed that the external power support project for the Golmud-Lhasa section electrification upgrade began construction on March 31, 2026. "This support project is a prerequisite for the electrification upgrade, essentially its preliminary phase, and it is now fully deployed across the entire route," the source explained. The Golmud-Lhasa section traverses uninhabited areas with a weak power grid, where the maximum voltage is only 220 kV. Without first adapting the grid in this area, the main electrification construction work cannot proceed.
The government of the Tibet Autonomous Region places significant emphasis on this external power support project. According to a January 2026 report from the Tibet Daily, the regional party committee and government have incorporated the project into a provincial-level leadership guarantee mechanism. Lai Jiao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region Party Committee and head of the Organization Department, stated that the electrification of the Tibet section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is directly related to the long-term reliability and efficient flow of the major passage into and out of Tibet. It plays an irreplaceable strategic role in integrating into the national unified market, promoting ethnic exchanges, consolidating border security, and building an important channel open to South Asia. He stressed the need to ensure both the main project and the external power support project commence construction on schedule.
Project Details and Progress
The China Railway source further stated that the external power support project plans to construct four new substations, simultaneously laying 1,552 kilometers of 500 kV and 220 kV high-voltage transmission lines, and implementing a full suite of power operation and maintenance upgrade measures. The project is scheduled for completion and commissioning by the end of 2027. Once built, it will fill the gap in the 500 kV backbone grid on the northern Tibetan Plateau. "This will not only pave the way for the main electrification project but also create a pathway for consuming highland green electricity and integrating it into the grid, laying a solid foundation for exporting power from Tibet."
The external power support project is progressing smoothly. According to information from the official website of State Grid Tibet Electric Power Co., Ltd., State Grid Tibet Material Company has locked in production and delivery schedules for core equipment, including 90,100 tons of steel towers and 203 intervals of combined electrical apparatus, ensuring material supply matches the construction timeline. All core equipment for the project has been confirmed for production, achieving precise alignment between material supply and construction progress.
On June 11, the Tibet Central Station of the National Energy Administration's Power Reliability Management and Engineering Quality Supervision Center completed its first quality supervision inspection of the support project. The Tibet Central Station noted that given the challenging conditions along the route, such as high altitude, hypoxia, widespread permafrost, and a short construction window, the inspection focused on plateau-specific characteristics and problem-oriented approaches. Image data was recorded and archived for each critical process, ensuring construction processes can be traced back and quality issues can be investigated, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of supervision.
Rationale for Electrification
Regarding the need for electrifying the Golmud-Lhasa section, the China Railway source explained that the section has been in operation for 20 years. Passenger traffic into and out of Tibet surged from 664,000 in 2006 to 2.69 million in 2025, while freight volume increased from 361,000 tons in 2006 to 8.313 million tons in 2025. Currently, all locomotives on the Golmud-Lhasa section are diesel-powered. Due to the high-altitude, oxygen-deficient environment, diesel locomotive power significantly decreases when crossing the Tanggula Pass, limiting their traction capacity and thus the transport volume. Additionally, the railway must accommodate both passenger and freight services, leading to scheduling conflicts.
"Under diesel traction, the transport capacity of the Golmud-Lhasa section is essentially saturated and cannot meet the growing transport demands driven by Tibet's tourism expansion, mineral development, construction material imports, and specialty agricultural and livestock product exports. The supply-demand contradiction is becoming increasingly acute," the source said. After electrification, electric locomotives will not be affected by altitude or oxygen levels, potentially increasing single-locomotive traction capacity by over 30% and boosting overall line capacity. Furthermore, Fuxing high-speed trains could operate on the Xining-Lhasa line, eliminating the need for locomotive changes at Golmud station, reducing travel time, and improving passenger turnover efficiency.
Cost and Environmental Benefits
From an operational cost perspective, electrification is also necessary. The China Railway source noted that diesel traction incurs high energy consumption and maintenance costs. Electric locomotives, drawing power directly from the grid with minimal energy loss, combined with Tibet's abundant hydropower and solar green energy resources, would have significantly lower unit energy consumption costs compared to diesel traction, offering clear economic benefits.
From an equipment standpoint, the main diesel locomotives on the Golmud-Lhasa section are originally imported from the United States and have been in service for 20 years. Parts supply and maintenance have driven up operational expenses. "After electrification, with a full switch to domestically produced high-altitude electric locomotives and all parts sourced domestically, annual locomotive maintenance costs will be drastically reduced, creating a closed-loop cost control system for traction equipment."
Finally, fully electrifying the Qinghai-Tibet Railway aligns with the national "dual carbon" goals and the imperative to protect the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau's ecological barrier. The source stated that the Sanjiangyuan (Three-River-Source) and Hoh Xil ecological reserves are located along the Golmud-Lhasa section. The plateau's permafrost and alpine meadows have recovery cycles spanning decades, making the ecological carrying capacity extremely fragile. Continuous emissions and potential diesel leaks from diesel locomotives pose a long-term threat to the ecology, which contradicts national requirements for the plateau's ecological protection and carbon peak and neutrality goals. Electric locomotives produce zero tailpipe emissions and no oil pollution. Powered by Tibet's green grid, they offer substantial carbon emission reductions. The supporting 500 kV and 220 kV transmission network will also fill the gap in northern Tibet's backbone high-voltage grid, creating a channel for exporting Tibet's clean energy. The railway's electricity consumption can utilize local photovoltaic and hydropower resources, forming a bidirectional cycle that combines ecological benefits with energy industry linkage value.