Road of prosperity extends towards Lhasa, capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region November 22, 2004. The tracks are now some 200 kilometers to Lhasa. Track-laying of the 1,142-kilometer Qinghai-Tibet railway progresses steadily. The railway, the first to link Tibet with rest of China, is expected to reach Lhasa sometime next year and open to traffic in July 2007. Sprawling on the Tanggular Range, described as a mountain "insurmountable even by eagles," the railway is the most elevated railway in the world with a maximum altitude of 5,070 meters. China began construction of the railway in 2001 at a cost of 26.2 billion yuan (US$3.16 billion). The Chinese government expects the project to boost Tibet's social and economic development, helping local residents improve their living standards.

　　　　　　　　
Track sleepers are stacked neatly at the construction site of the Qinghai-Tibet railway. The railway is now about 200 kilometers to Lhasa and will be ready for service in 2007.