How major challenges were overcome

CHALLENGE 1: Frost

About 550 kilometers of the 1,956-km railway's track is laid on permafrost, frozen soil, sediment or rock. Permafrost is defined as ground that stays frozen for at least two years. When the railway was proposed, concerns were raised that the heating systems that keep the track clear of ice and snot might melt the permafrost and affect the integrity of the track.

Solution - Dong Tianchun, an engineer at Qinghai-Tibet Railway Co who specializes in permafrost technology, said engineers solved the problem by elevating the track with pile-driven foundations sunk deep into the ground in permafrost areas. In other places, a total of 10,829 heating pipes are buried underground.