China opens new Tibet rail link close to Sikkim.

China on 15 Aug 2014 inaugurated its second railway line in Tibet, built at a cost of $2.16 billion, close to the Indian border in Sikkim, enhancing mobility of its military in the remote and strategic Himalayan region.

The 253-km railway line links Tibet's provincial capital Lhasa with Xigaze, the second-largest city in Tibet and also the traditional seat of the pro-Beijing Panchen Lama - stated to be second important Monk in Tibetan hierarchy.

The new line near the Indian border in Sikkim is also close to China's border with Nepal and Bhutan. It reduces the travel time between Lhasa and Xigaze from the current four hours by highway to around two hours, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

It is the second railway line in Tibet and an extension of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, the world's highest rail link connecting China's mainland with Tibet.

BS