Freedom Fighter Yaks

China’s Tibet railway isn’t the engineering marvel it’s cracked up to be. The Guardian’s Jonathan Watts details some of the serious problems the railway is experiencing after less than a month of service.

The safety of passengers on the world’s highest – and newest – railway is threatened by cracks, yaks and shifting sands, the Chinese government has admitted.

Less than a month after the opening of the line across the Himalayas to Tibet, it has become unstable in places because the foundations are sinking into the permafrost, railway ministry spokesman Wang Yongping, told the Beijing News today.
…
The line depends on coolants to stop the ice upon which it rests from melting. But global warming has raised temperatures in the mountain region faster than expected. As well as damaging concrete pillars and bridges, it has added to the problem of sand dunes that encroach upon the track.

Tunnels were built under elevated sections so that the endangered Tibetan antelope could pass by without danger. But planners have failed to cope with a far less timid and more numerous beast – the yak, thousands of which graze along the tracks and wander across them.

“These form dangers to passengers on the train,” Mr Wang said.

Obviously it forms a danger for the yaks, too.

Previous reports from engineers and railroad experts predicted that China’s $4 billion railway would not last more than ten years before it would need a major technical refurbishment. Specifically the cooling systems designed to keep hundreds of miles of permafrost more permanently frozen require intense upkeep.

I was always quite skeptical of the usefulness of tunnels to divert animal traffic away from the railroad tracks. I’m sorry, but unless the Chinese have figured out a way to communicate with Tibetan antelopes and yaks, tunnels won’t be the lone means of crossing the line that bisects a massive swath of the Tibetan plateau. The tunnels are an example of wishful thinking of the highest order. Likewise the destructive nature of the train becomes even more clear as yaks lose access to grazing space and are forced to venture into dangerous positions.

The railway is an enormous intrusion into the lives of Tibetans. Nomads have been displaced, pastoral lands have been ripped up, and no one knows what the environmental impact of building a refrigerator that runs hundreds of miles under the ground will be. The fact that this project is immediately proving to be unsafe and unstable is no surprise. While I take no joy in reading that this railway is now posing dangers to the passengers themselves, I can’t help but think the Chinese government is simply reaping what it has sown.

Hat tip to Whatever It Is, I’m Against It.

Technorati Tags: China’s Tibet railway, Tibet, yaks



4 Responsesto “Freedom Fighter Yaks”

1. Emboldened » Blog Archive » Freedom Fighter Yaks says:

   July 28, 2006 at 4:23 pm

   [...] Cross posted at Tibet Will Be Free. [...]
2. B.R says:

   July 28, 2006 at 4:39 pm

   It would be very unfortunate for the PLA and chinese settlers if their railway’s tracks and tunnels were washed away by lanslides. Those Tibetan yaks can be a major nuisance.
3. Amalia says:

   July 29, 2006 at 1:23 pm

   MY YAK!! OK, I was given a baby Dri (female yak) which presently resides in Amdo. And I firmly believe that it is indeed MY Armin VIII (that’s her name) who is trying to sabotage the train by running across the tracks. Nice job Armin. See you next year when i come to visit!
4. Jessica Bielman says:

   August 3, 2006 at 12:31 pm

   This whole railway system is just another way to globalize Tibet. I read about different ways China is just trying to globalize Tibet on Buddhist Connect (http://www.BuddhistConnect.com ) The Tibetian way of life and mind set is different than that of the Chinese government. I also hear that exploiting Tibet’s natural resources is also a huge agenda for Tibet.
5. alma says:

   August 4, 2006 at 11:13 am

   hurray for yaks!