Highs and lows on the Tibet express

LHASA - For those in cattle class, the inaugural two-day trip aboard the Beijing to Lhasa train was anything but comfortable. Many took oxygen to combat altitude sickness on the way, and nearly all those who stumbled from the carriages looked like death warmed up.

As the train climbed towards its highest point at the Tangula Pass, many had attached tubes to their nostrils and announcements warned passengers to avoid sudden movements that could trigger sickness, even in the pressurised cabins.

At 5072m above sea level, the pass is the world's highest railway.

About a third of those travelling in the cheaper cabins, mostly Tibetan students, were visibly ill.

"Now we've reached the top, I feel sick and nauseous and have headaches," said Chinese tourist Wu Jia.

Older passengers lay back to endure the ride, children cried and many were being sick in the toilets.

The Tibetan capital, Lhasa, which leaves many visitors gasping for breath, lies at 3650m.

The train reached its destination yesterday after a 4000km journey, capping three days of official propaganda about the rail link binding isolated Tibet to the rest of China.

Station police and firemen lined a platform packed with a welcoming crowd carrying confetti, flowers and banners, some dressed in traditional Tibetan outfits. But for many of the passengers, a lie-down in a dark room might have been more welcoming.

Despite the obvious distress of some two-day trippers, there were some gushing, party-line reviews.

"This railway is really comfortable. You can see beautiful scenery, herds of yaks and lots of wild animals," gushed Tibetan Mima Cering.

President Hu Jintao called the railway a "miracle" of engineering, but critics say the trains will bring an influx of tourists and long-term migrants who will threaten Tibet's cultural integrity.

China occupied the region in 1950. Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India after a failed uprising nine years later. Ever since, Beijing has maintained control, fearful the restive region will rise again.

Security was not an issue on the maiden voyage. Convoys of military trucks kept speed with the train, and militia men stood guard every 500 metres of the track as it sped past.

- REUTERS