A locomotive to be used on the world's highest railway, the
Qinghai-Tibet Railway, has been produced in Qingdao, east China's
Shandong Province.
The locomotive, developed by the Nanche Sifang Locomotive Co. Ltd,
will be put into full operation after trials.
Half of the 1,142-km railway, stretching from Gormo, in Qinghai
Province, to Lhasa, in the Tibet Autonomous Region, will be laid on
permafrost. Extreme cold, low oxygen levels and the fragile
eco-environment not only posed great difficulties in the railway
construction, but also in the manufacturing of locomotives.
The Ministry of Railways had listed the development of the new
locomotive as a key project in the Tenth Five-Year Plan period
(2001-2005) and asked Nanche Sifang Locomotive Co. to do the
initial research.
The new locomotive is diesel driven and all the power and auxiliary
systems hang under the train. To ensure normal operation in the
high altitude and extreme cold, the locomotive incorporates special
cold-resistant materials and an air conditioning system. The train
was supplied with an oxygen system to provide sufficient oxygen in
the cars.
An
emergency clinic is also included to provide medical treatment for
altitude sickness.
To
protect the fragile ecological environment, the train is also
equipped with a closed sewage and waste treatment system.
(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2003)