Safety on Tibet Trains

As the highest railway in the world, Qinghai-Tibet railway is one of the most mysterious things to many foreign tourists. Due to the lack of detailed information about this railway, most of them may want to know whether it is safe for them to take a Tibet train tour in China. On one hand, tourists want to know whether it is safe for their health to take a train to Tibet in such a high altitude area. On another hand, they also want to know the personal safety issues on the train. Here with Tibet Tourism, you will get the chance to realize that you can totally be relaxed and enjoy your Tibet train tour since you will remain safe along the road.

How to Deal with the High Altitude Sickness on Trains to Tibet?

Let’s first talk about the high altitude sickness on the high plateau and how to deal with it when you are on a Tibet train. Foreign tourists who are not living in the high altitude area will have a light high plateau sickness easily when they are taking a train to get to Tibet. Their body will feel the increasing altitude and react to it. Thus, they will start to feel uncomfortable on the train. If you start to have a headache, you need to realize that it is not a big deal. You can keep yourself relaxed and pay attention to other things.

Personal Oxygen Supply System

But all Tibet trains are well-equipped with two oxygen systems to make sure that every passenger can acclimate the high altitude easily. The Tibet train will climb gradually to get to Tanggula Pass - the highest point 5072m on Qinghai-Tibet Railway after passing Golmud. It will be the time that the dispersion system of oxygen starts to work. It will pump oxygen into the train stably and constantly to keep the oxygen concentration the same as in Lhasa. In this way, passengers will be able to acclimate the high altitude after they arrive in Lhasa and start their amazing tour in Tibet.

However, in case that there will be passengers who cannot be able to acclimate the low oxygen concentration environment, the train also provides another system that is for personal use. It can be found everywhere on the train. If you are not sure where it is, you can ask the help from one of the train attendants. They will be glad to show you the right place and show you how to use it. As the train reaches Golmud, the train attendants will distribute the oxygen tubes to every passenger to connect the oxygen outlets once they feel it is necessary to breath more oxygen to help reduce the symptoms of high altitude sickness. However, please do remember to tell other passengers in the next seat or in your cabin that you are not feeling good. When your symptoms get worse, ask help from train attendants and they will get you a doctor to make sure that your sickness can be rightly treated.

Is it Safe for Luggage and Personal Belongings on Tibet Trains?

On the trains to Tibet, there are several places for passengers to deposit their luggage. If you are in a soft sleeper compartment, you can put your luggage in the luggage closet above the door. It should be the safest place on Tibet trains since each compartment of soft sleeper has a lockable door. If you are in a hard sleeper car, you can only put your luggage under the lower bunks or on the luggage rack above the window by the aisle side. You will not be able to see your luggage all the time. But generally speaking, your luggage will remain safe all the time since there will be railway policemen patrolling day and night. However, a train is also a public place and you'd better keep your personal articles with you.