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Five-star Beijing-Tibet tourist train service called off indefinitely

Xinhuanet

The launch of a “five-star” tourist train service from Beijing to Tibet has been called off indefinitely, according to the operator.

A senior engineer of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Corp (QTRC) said he had received no notice that the tourist train would begin running in September.

He also denied the service would be as “luxurious” as some media reported. Some reports had speculated that the “luxury train” would be reserved for overseas tourists.

“There is no detailed schedule yet, but I can confirm it won’t start in September,” said Li Shunping, chief engineer of the company.

QTRC announced through the media in March that the train, with carriages on a par with a five-star hotel, would be launched today.

Zhu Mingrui, QTRC general manager who made the announcement, said the train would accommodate just 96 passengers. The fare would be about 20 times the normal price and also more expensive than a flight between Beijing and Lhasa.

No reason for the delay was given by QTRC, which is based in Xining, capital of Qinghai Province neighboring Tibet.

Some local media speculated the delivery time of the carriages could be a factor.

The carriage manufacturer, Bombardier Sifang Power, based in east China’s Shandong Province, told the Qingdao Morning Post on August 21 that the carriages would be delivered in February as scheduled. The company had not been informed that the service would be operating in September.

The newspaper report said the train would have 12 passenger cars, two dining cars and a sightseeing car. Each passenger car would have four 20-square-meter suites with double beds.

Wang Yongping, a spokesman of the Ministry of Railways, wrote in his personal blog that the train should be called a sightseeing train, rather than a luxury train.

“The biggest difference between the train and other trains would be the special sightseeing car, where commodious windows and comfortable chairs allow passengers a better view of the scenery,” he said in the blog.

Disclaimer: N.B. Xinhua is the official news agency of the Chinese government (PRC). Tibet Sun has republished this piece to bring awareness among the people.

Copyright © 2008 Xinhua News Agency

Published in China Economic Net