The world’s highest Train Journey with an average altitude of 4500m.

Route: The 1142km railway, climbs to 5072m between the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, and China’s northwestern Qinghai province. Half of it lies on permafrost.

Facts: It is at least 200 meters higher than the Peruvian railway in the Andes, which was formerly the world’s most elevated track. About 550 kilometers of the tracks run on frozen earth, the longest in any of the world’s plateau railways.

Care: Make sure that you are fit enough to travel at such a height even though the train provides oxygen to every seat . According to John Wright a good idea would be to travel with Perth-based company The Travel Directors.

Facilities: It is advisable to take the luxurious soft sleeper. Get ready to be treated with carpets, central heating, tablecloths in the dining car, red fabric roses in vases . Toilets with warm water, hot water stations for tea and coffee, a small but tasty menu with mainly Chinese meals for about $4 per plate and of course a bar. For rates check out Access Tibet tours.

Even though “The Himalayan Express” is a marvel engineering feat and an unforgettable train journey. An amazing means to enjoy the isolated and bleak wilderness of the Tibetan Plateau. Still I feel that this train will speed up the undermining of traditional Tibetan culture. Tibet will have to bear the brunt of more control by the Chinese. And its adverse impact on the environment has yet to be felt.

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Via: News