Since the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway opened last August, 400,000 people have since traveled on that line, Xinhua reporters learned from the Shigatse Train Station on the March 29th.

According to Yin Xianfa, stationmaster at the Shigatse Train Station, each train on the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway line can carry up to 1,034 passengers, with trains recently carrying about 800 passengers. Even during periods with the lowest number of riders, each train still carried three or four hundred passengers. The peak transport season for the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway occurred three months after the opening and around the Spring Festival.

The opening of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway makes it easier for Tibetan people to visit friends and relatives, make pilgrimages, and it is also more convenient for tourists visiting Tibet.

"One is able to make a same-day round trip journey from Lhasa to Shigatse," says Wang Lei, the conductor on train Z8801 from Lhasa to Shigatse. "Whether you are a tourist or someone who commutes between the two cities for business, it is convenient for all."

Construction on the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway, the first extension line of the world’s highest Qinghai-Tibet Railway, began in 2010 with a total investment of 13.28 billion yuan. The train is designed to run at a speed of at least 120 kilometers per hour. With the opening of this rail line, southwest Tibet no longer relies solely on a single highway for transportation.

32-year-old Jigme Tseten, a Tibetan who has recently returned from living abroad, manages a clothing shop in Lhasa's Barkhor area selling Indian and Nepalese apparel.

"When I would cross the China-Nepal border in order to buy new merchandise, transportation was poor and the journey took a long time," Jigme Tseten said. "However, following the opening of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway, travel time for these purchasing trips has been cut by more than half."

Currently, the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway operates two passenger trains per day: one from Lhasa to Shigatse that leaves at 9:00 a.m., and one from Shigatse to Lhasa that leaves at 5:30 p.m. Total running time of the trip is 2 hours and 58 minutes.

"As a result of an increase in passenger traffic, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company plans to begin operation of two additional passenger trains, numbered Z8803 and Z8804, in order to better serve passengers traveling between these two cities," says Yin Xiangfa.