Qinghai-Tibet Railway: The Highest Railway in the World

Pop quiz: which country spent USD 3 billion to build a railway on top of a massive permafrosted plateau?
C'mon... you know it's going to be China.
Simon's Social Media:
Twitter: / simonwhistler
Instagram: / simonwhistler
Simon's Other Channels:
TodayIFoundOut: / todayifoundout
TopTenz: / toptenznet
Biographics: / @biographics
Visual Politik: / @visualpolitiken
Highlight History: / @highlighthistory
Geographics: / @geographicstravel
Business Blaze: / @brainblaze6526

[@megaprojects9649]

Thanks everyone for letting me know about the video cutting out early. I had something come up yesterday evening, and so didn't get to the comments as fast as normal so I could sort out a prompt re-upload. My file on my computer is 18 minutes, so I'm not sure why this got cut off, but I should have checked. Anyway, I'm in the position of deciding whether to re-upload, and I decided not to as I think the annoyance of an extra notification isn't worth two minutes of content (plus, sadly, when I do a reupload the early audience won't watch, which sends a bad signal to the KZbin algo, which means less people will see the video long term.). Therefore, I'm including the last two minute here in text form. My apologies folks, I know you're here to watch, not read. -- But the extensions are also set to take on a much more international feel. The Shigatse extension, that I just mentioned, will eventually continue down into Nepal, finishing at its capital Kathmandu. This line is expected to be open by 2024. The final possible extension is still very much theoretical at this stage. Comments made by the Qinghai People's Congress Vice Secretary-General Liu Palit seemed to suggest he supported the idea of continuing the extension into India, going as far afield as Mumbai, and possibly even Karachi in Pakistan. There have been very little concrete plans for this so far but who knows, maybe sometime in the future. THE ROOF OF THE WORLD China has achieved some truly memorable engineering feats in a relatively short period. On Megaprojects, we’ve done videos on both the Three Gorges Dam and the South-North Water Transfer Project - both of which involve some truly eye-boggling statistics. And while the Qinghai-Tibet Railway may not have the same dazzling prestige, just ask a rail engineer about how difficult it is to build a line with 80% of it above 4,000 metres (13,123ft). In many ways, this railway feels like it harks back to the early days of the railroad. It is a line that battles its way through an inhospitable environment, scaling mountains and traversing vast frozen plateaus. A truly revolutionary piece of engineering that travels through parts of the world that few venture into, and one that grazes the top of our world. They said the railway would never arrive in Lhasa. But they were wrong.

[@megaprojects9649]

I miss that I didn't get to say that last line, I bet I did it all dramatic :D

[@adamthederp4938]

Lol. Too bad we can't add images - but maybe you can send a link to the images themselves?

[@zeitgeistx5239]

You still havent done XB-70 MACH 3 bomber. You did the Concorde and XB-70 flew before the Concorde.

[@rainbowchickenlive]

Simon no longer hates uncle!

[@kurtjoseph6232]

The obsessive completionist in me thanks you.

[@zombiedropper1013]

Just as a heads up Simon the end of the video isn’t cut properly

[@jtveg]

Yeah! WTF happened there? I thought I accidentally pressed something on my keyboard. So I checked again. Someone definitely screwed up the editing.

[@Dethflash]

Glad im not crazy lol

[@dascherofficial]

Thought I was getting a call, then my phone didn't ring and I looked down and saw the little circle arrow thing and got super confused. 😂

[@IvoDanielBrito]

Yes, it happened to me too.

[@theemissary1313]

That's what happens when you slag off the Chinese government! :(

[@CosRacecar]

"ETA, how can we get viewer engagement up?" "End the video early, then everyone will comment to tell you". Allegedly.

[@hkbabel]

:-) Allegendly

[@cabe_bedlam]

*ba-dum-bum-tish*

[@MrSharpshot]

Too much cocaine

[@reddirtcrazy83]

It wouldn't surprise me if, one day, Simon Whistler was a Jeopardy category.

[@hkbabel]

@@reddirtcrazy83 Agree!

[@Voello]

Huh, does it cut off the end for anyone else or is it just me?

[@sandybarnes887]

Not just you

[@StefanoNoffke]

It happened to me too

[@loupiscanis9449]

yup , abrupt ending mid sentence .

[@thereallasre]

Yup

[@pamelafernandezdelareguera4893]

Yup, me too

[@VikingCuda]

I guess the CCP came for Simon and ETA at the end.

[@MichaelOKC]

Actually I would not be surprised if ETA turned him in for the reward money.

[@oortclouddomicile]

LOL

[@BarryCarter]

Allegedly

[@SamCruise]

Naw, ETA was right the 5G covid-19 got 'em.

[@ShaneDGri]

Allegedly... the PRChina, aka Best China, doesn't like people talking about it glorious liberation of Tibet from tbe warmongering Dali Lama... Allegedly

[@SpecialEDy]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate that the internet has brought us nerds together? Here we are geeking out on rail-lines, and I love it!

[@SripadBehera]

I know! wanted an episode on this QTR for ages!

[@nekomasteryoutube3232]

For me as a Canadian Railfan, I find it interesting that a handful of locomotives they use in CHina and on the railway here are American designed locomotives like the NJ2 and HXN5 (basically chinese versions of the GE C44-9 and the Evolution Series locomotives)

[@racerratt666]

Sheldon would be proud!

[@markusz4447]

Steamin'

[@SpecialEDy]

@@Darksh0t009 That's ok, we'll still let you sit at our table.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

At 16:08 we discover Simon didn't pay his Internet bill.

[@daviddunn3285]

Lol! Simon: oopsie!

[@jonnunn4196]

allegedly

[@alexander1485]

or Mi6 is after him

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@alejogabrielgarcia8849]

China cut off the end of the video because they hate all the bald guys speaking about the Tibet 😅

[@jtveg]

Best comment award. 🏆

[@thembanimdlalose5229]

Lol hilarious!!!

[@exumsmith159]

Right!🤣😂

[@maryscott4573]

😉😂

[@ybing]

lol

[@ChadWilson]

At this point, I think we should purposely request megaprojects wherein your ability to pronounce the names is challenged to the point of craziness.

[@shindari]

Wouldn't that make a lovely entertaining Game Show?...

[@agustinvenegas5238]

Does anyone know of a megaproject with Xosa names?

[@edwardsmith3838]

Right, time for the rail line that goes through Llanfairpyllgwyngwllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantisilliogogogoch (sorry if I misspelled it).

[@eoghanw1]

Błękitny Wieżowiec

[@dingleberryhandpump802]

Any Megaprojects in Iceland?

[@economicsinaction]

Simon: *gets cut off* China: *"What an unfortunate event"*

[@jordanwilliams9300]

Excellent

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@Vwampage]

I rode this line all the way from Beijing way back in 2011, it's an absolutely stunning trip. I remember as we passed through the highest pass that they pumped additional oxygen into the train cars and also everyone on the train collectively decided that it was nap time. They were right. It was absolutely nap time.

[@RailwaysExplained]

Good idea for the video. We mentioned Tanggula railway station in Tibet as the highest elevated station in the world at 5,068 m (16,627 ft) above sea level as one of rail related Guinness world records.

[@bethroesch2156]

Will continue down into where Simon??? You can't just leave us hanging like that 😭😂😂😂

[@invalid4205]

sounds like he is about to say Nepal...which would make sense given the location.....adds more hilarity with the tensions currently in the region

[@jackmason5278]

Probably India. That might be China's next land-grab target.

[@RealSkoolmaster]

@@jackmason5278 they will discover that India is a little bit harder to grab than Tibet.

[@jb6027]

Did anybody else notices that as Simon said "..the extension will continue down into..." as he was cut off, that he was pointing at his lap? It wasn't the Chinese Secret Police that got him, it was the KZbin Censor Police.

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@daviddunn3285]

The fact that they built a railway in such a tough environment is interesting indeed. Keep up the great work Simon!

[@fvckyoutubescensorshipandt2718]

What happened to Simon? He got cut off mid-sentence.

[@temodeed]

Ask China

[@Roiki]

The Chinese got him.

[@kikufutaba1194]

Maybe he is married

[@gilbertabadi4686]

Na, he just got river crab (harmonize)

[@oneknowwhatsup]

ccp happened

[@Train_Tok_Man]

Union Pacific Big Boys: The Biggest steam locomotives ever built.

[@druminghead12]

Is the 611 your profile pic?

[@Train_Tok_Man]

Jarrett logan Yes.

[@druminghead12]

Nice

[@Duececoupe]

Wouldn't mind seeing C&O's H-8 Allegheny 2-6-6-6's which was heavier I think, which was Lima ended up in court, but....even more so, I'd love to see N&W's famous, legendary trio....the A, the J and the Y class, which was more powerful! That would be something, the story about N&W and when its A 1239 and Y6b 2197 beat EMD's four unit A-B-B-A demonstrator set in efficiency, back in 1957 if I remember correctly....😎✊🏻

[@pacificeagle]

This

[@tomppeli.]

Is the video supposed to end prematurely?

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@MrHpagan]

Hey Simon, I enjoy your content I know you’re going to get 1 million comments about the video ending abruptly. I’ll let somebody else worry about it, keep up the good work Looking forward to seeing more future videos.

[@friguyzero]

I think you should upload the last 2 minutes by it's self. We will still watch. I'm loving this new channel. Keep up the good work.

[@TheRiles333]

I was gonna comment about the cut-off, then I thought, there's no way Simon doesn't have something on this already! Thanks for adding the rest in the description. I"m loving these videos. I've just made myself a playlist of all the videos and am working my way through :D.

[@utbdoug]

Wow, literally just watch the Spark documentary on this! Like 20 minutes ago! Excellent work guys, this is just as informative as an hour long documentary!

[@anthonyblacker8471]

New drinking game: Every time Simon tries to say a challenging word or name, you drink! I'd be hammered right now!!

[@CrashM85]

Plus the more your drink, the more words become challanging (if you are going off words you can currently say)

[@BlackStarG4]

I liked the video mostly because of the explanation and the handling of the cutoff, in addition to the fantastic presentation. Like button smashed!

[@kaifengwu6565]

When the CCP marched into Tibet it was a place where slavery, child labor, and arranged marriage were very much the norm. The vast majority of Tibetan people lived in extreme poverty and were considered subhuman by the small number of land-owning nobleman that have engrained their rein of terror for centuries using religion by deifying their leader - the Dalai Lama - as god-incarnate. Not to say the CCP had purely ulterior motives or didn’t introduce oppression of their own, but not too sure either if what happened before that was a “traditional identity” most Tibetan people appreciated. This gross simplification of history really do piss me off.

[@cozmost]

glad someone is saying it

[@christophergoodman404]

Have you done the Iowa Class Ships yet? Thinking we need a mega projects of that.

[@andrewolson5471]

This is the railway line that only exists because someone said something couldn't be done, and someone else said, "hold my beer."

[@walkersavage4926]

I love your videos and I'm always waiting for the new one to come out. Don't worry about the cut at the end stuff happens huh.

[@grandenauto3214]

the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@EmilyJelassi]

Fascinating video.. I love this channel!!

[@Pisti846]

4000 meters is 13123 feet, I believe at that height airplanes must be pressurized.

[@randomchannel-px6ho]

16:08 and the Chinese secret police have finally caught Simon for him daring to talk about the environmental impact of their projects

[@Elfangorlanzhou]

dai lama disagrees www.firstpost.com/world/dalai-lama-says-tibet-does-not-seek-independence-from-china-but-wants-greater-development-4224481.html

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@Akideoni]

Thanks for the great presentation!

[@rubiconned]

You had one job. Haha great video as usual 👌

[@chrisestill8825]

I think Simon just really likes trains and he's been making all these channels to find a way to talk about them to the masses.

[@morty1988]

Do the dutch delta works! Great backstory, very important for the future with the rising sea level

[@Jcodge]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2icdISLibRof6s he has already :)

[@randomthoughtswithalex6315]

I visited Xining, Qinghai in 2012. I heard about the train line to Tibet while I was there, but I didn't realize it was such an engineering challenge. The effects of altitude were pronounced even within Qinghai. I remember being rather low energy on a drive through the mountains that took us just under 4000 m altitude.

[@MrMustangMan67]

Simon, I hope whatever came up was manageable, and ended well. All of your channels fall into the top tenz of my favorites. I love telling other people about you and the things you teach me. I will go and wear my zebra mask and ride my sinclair electric youth mobilizer now.

[@felixguilbeault6329]

Is a part 2 coming or did censorship rear its ugly head?

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@danij5055]

Well, not in the description but rather in a pinned comment.

[@cikame]

"Sorry your husband died at work" "How did he die?" "... You know... things...".

[@--enyo--]

cikame ‘You never had a husband. Don’t ask questions.’

[@andrewsuryali8540]

"How did he die?" "Other causes."

[@stacyrussell460]

Thanks for clearing up the ending error. I kept rewatching it thinking I missed something... lol

[@philippelucan3066]

Good job yet again. What about the Grasberg mine next? Or the mir mine may be?

[@ptilrem]

How many times did you practice for all those names near the end?

[@thetitan6965]

You should do an episode on The Great Wall of China.

[@biteme3989]

He did on video on it on Geographics kzbin.info/www/bejne/r16UoGNsp6eafaM

[@fy1727]

A. He did that one on BIOGRAPHICS B. The great wall(s) is not oje but hundreds of smaller and bigger projects that span more than a thousand years. So it's not ideal to call it "a" megaproject

[@user-pt8og3ls5x]

No, he should't.

[@deanzaZZR]

I took a bus ride from Golmud to Lhasa back in the 1980s. I recommend the new high speed trail option!

[@roshanthapa8487]

Must have been a week long journey

[@ChefHeisca]

I NEED IT TO FINISH MAN! OH MY GOD WHAT THE FINISH!?!?!?!?! Love you stuff! But honestly im starting to hear more and more of the Blaze in all your work.

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@silenttoxic707]

Let’s get a video on The Hubble Space Telescope 🔭

[@greghuang2314]

Fun fact: There is a popular Chinese folk song about the Qinghai-Tibet railway called 天路(The Road to Heaven), which highlights the extreme difficulty of constructing this railway and the fact that it's the highest elevation railway in the world. I grew up listening to this song everywhere, and it is frequently played on board trains in China, including outside of Tibet. On an 8 hour high speed train ride from Xiamen to Shanghai in 2010, the train's loudspeakers played 天路 and Jasmine Flower (another Chinese folk song) on a loop nonstop for the entire ride. The song neglects the many controversial aspects of this railway, but it serves the government's propaganda purposes very well.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

3:05 - Chapter 1 - Tibet 5:45 - Chapter 2 - Construction 8:00 - Chapter 3 - A permafrost problem 10:25 - Chapter 4 - Travelling along the line 12:00 - Chapter 5 - Trains 13:30 - Chapter 6 - Environnement 15:20 - Chapter 7 - Future extension

[@freddiei.2696]

Continue down into nepa...? XD it’s ok, Simon...at any rate, masterfully done :)...keep em coming!

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@nathanielfamisan1968]

"Can we truly trust China to give us accurate figures on the number of people who died?" As customary but damn, this hits really differently now with the ongoing pandemic.

[@MY-zj8pb]

Can we trust america and UK on any figures they give? No. You can't trust any government

[@sandybarnes887]

The end is cut short

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@barendterblanche5634]

The video stops abruptly at 16:08. Love your video's in general though thanks for all the interesting things that you cover

[@grandenauto3214]

the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@tazmokhan7614]

yeah the cut was wayyyyy too early, awaiting part 2 for this vid, its really awesome vid btw!!

[@grandenauto3214]

Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@heliosex7238]

Lol Free Documentary just released a full documentary on this yesterday. Just the way she goes I guess

[@rapidthrash1964]

That documentary is actually about 10 years old

[@bhaskara.n.k694]

Simon,do an episode on LCA Tejas and the BrahMos missile please

[@GoneTwitiching]

I traveled this line from Xining to Lhasa back in 2017, very very impressive.

[@markcovey3204]

All of Simmon's videos are excellent. He really is very

[@Akash__Verma__]

In last sentence he is saying that the extention will lead down into Nepal.

[@lucasbrown3085]

Big muskie. World's largest drag line excavator

[@371kenny]

The bucket is shocking. Then you realize there was a machine that moved it.

[@lucasbrown3085]

@@371kenny three full size busses could fit in it

[@thebradmarkschannel957]

Another great video Simon. What about the high speed Beijing to Shaghai train ?

[@Deathscythe92]

For a video idea, how about Space Elevators? I know none have been built yet, but that hasn't stopped you before lol

[@jt92]

Looks like the video didn't export correctly, the end cuts off abruptly.

[@grandenauto3214]

For those that didn’t find it, Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@magnvss]

China: "Simon, we don't like they irony you are using while talking about the Great Mother Land, we will pause your video while we think about it..."

[@akeelahmed2194]

Simon you’re doing great for v logs and mentions every thing with parfect story’s

[@theobserver9131]

I've been practicing voice overs because I think it might be a fun line of work that my old over worked body could handle. It's not as easy as one might think! I've gained appreciation for those who do it seemingly so effortlessly and with style. Cheers Simon.

[@daviddelgado6090]

I got one: the Arecibo Observatory.

[@Victor-tl4dk]

5:06, honestly it's both purposes. The communist party dictatorship benefits from both so it's both.

[@LovernefitnessLLC]

Hi Simon! Long time viewer first time commenter. What about doing a megaprojects video on China's belt and road initiative? Love all your channels and videos. Cheers!

[@laesseV]

The Gotthard Base Tunnel or the whole NRLA (New Railway Link through the Alps) would be a cool megaproject.

[@Knight_Astolfo]

Uighur/Uyghur "Wee - Grr" i.e. the CCP's organ banks Also; video ends in the middle of a sentence?

[@aaronh6852]

Organ bank? Im a Chinese and i have many Uyghur friends growing up, never heard of it happened, but if u read it online, it must be true. Everyone knows the online world is the real world.

[@michaeldoering9993]

The video ended in the middle

[@grandenauto3214]

Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@GoodGuyPlayer2]

Great video... specially the ending

[@grandenauto3214]

the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@Motorallyrider]

Thank you for this one, this railway is one I wanted to travel, unfortunately due to the health warnings you have highlighted I must now remove it from the bucket list, fearing an early interaction with that bucket.

[@grandenauto3214]

Maybe it would be worth the risk. 🤷🏽

[@ZebraCore....]

Lol mega projects Today where looking at a video that ends abruptly leaving many fans quiet confused. Sponsored by square space.

[@grandenauto3214]

Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@Eternal666Abortion]

Id love to see a MegaProjects on the floodwalls we have here in the US. I think its such a terrible idea it would almost make an epic buisness blaze if there was more infi peovided.

[@ThomasAherne]

I kept getting visions of SNOWPIERCER as I listen to Simon list the train's specifications

[@chcoupedu62]

can you do the tgv, with the turbotrain and the very different design from the shinkusen, i'm sure it would make a good video, and it's always nice to hear english people struggling with french word :p

[@forgesoulfire1320]

Anybody else get Simon cut off in the middle of saying something?

[@bhumiputra7987]

Nepal

[@grandenauto3214]

the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@NAC_Exec]

You should do the Erie Canal of New York state, if you haven't already done it as a MegaProjects idea.

[@colemurph1346]

Hey Simon, what about the Gotthard base tunnel. I believe it is the longest railway tunnel and deepest traffic tunnel in the world. They also had an interesting ceremony to inaugurate the opening that featured all kinds of alpine culture and myths that freaked some people out. Its pretty interesting. Love all your channels and videos btw!!

[@tonbopro]

Simon， you have been awesome～

[@orcatime23]

Hey Simon. I live near a massive monument, the Gateway Arch in St.louis, Missouri USA I was wondering if you can do a video on it.

[@tonbopro]

incomplete？ whatta？

[@grandenauto3214]

the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@QuintonjChambers]

There should be a mega projects video of Simon describing the process and all the research that goes into of making of one of these videos! lol I bet thats a Mega Project!!

[@DCSHOES981]

Hey simon, there is a freight train which leaves Yiwu china only later on to arrive in London please do a video on this would be so awesome, love you work man!

[@shabbirahmeddar7765]

Meticulous research.

[@michaelbiedassek7136]

Great info but dislike the biased undertones of the host towards the Chinese government and the politicization of the project in regards to Tibet. Sounds like you can never be too positive about China’s development and stay on topic but need to lace it with a certain level of slander.

[@NekuraCa]

When I went to Tibet, we were suppose to take the train in, something I was really looking forward to, but the travel company changed the plans at the last moment. Instead we stayed in Chengdu for the time we would have been on the train, before flying directly in to Lhasa. But that did mean I got to pet a giant panda.

[@tylertucker6337]

You should do an episode on the Lookout Mountain Railway in Chattanooga, TN (one of the world's steepest railways). I just rode on it this weekend and it's an amazing experience - been operating since 1895!

[@johandutoit1585]

The SKA and Meerkat project in Southern Africa.

[@yongamamb2766]

you should do one about the concentration camps in tibet

[@koni5490]

The typic is "Qinghai-Tibet Railway: The Highest Railway in the World",but actually，it is "china is so bad,so bad.Railway?oh,I don't what is it".

[@MmeHyraelle]

11:30 This station could have been a small oxygen plant and medical facility, an emergency pit stop :) ( Or maybe it is and we don't know ?)

[@kshred3043]

0:15 "even though I am sure there are going to be Chinese pronunciations which I am going to screw up" That was an understatement. Not even close on some of them. However the wealth of information in this clip more than made up for it. I took this train from Xining to Lhasa in 2019. Great journey. And all this background on the railway was much appreciated. Pronunciation hint: Think terracotta warriors, think Xī'ān, and you would get closer on the pronunciation of first character of Xīníng. Xī means west. The marks above the vowels indicate the tones (rising, falling, etc)

[@coeal2680]

so early, the vid isnt listed yet on the channels video list. noiiice

[@Daithi354]

Woohoo, 5 ads in a single video, the best feature of your videos, love it /sarcasm

[@martingagne3124]

When The second part???? LoL 😆😆😆 Love the videos

[@grandenauto3214]

Simon put the text of the last two minutes in the description of the video

[@captainkiddoregon]

Simon, linking this region to another topic for this channel maybe you could do a spot on Taktsang Palphug Monastery or also known as the Tigers Nest in Bhutan. My wife and I visited Bhutan last year and hiked up to this Monastery. You start at about 8000' and end up at the Monastery at about 10,000 feet. Needless to say us low landers had to stop quite a few times on the way up. Or if anything do a video on your sister channel Geographics about Bhutan. Very beautiful country with the nicest population I ever met. Thumbs up on all your videos.

[@grandenauto3214]

When I was a young boy my dad gave me his stamp collection... after that we started adding new stamps and my favourite stamps were a set from Bhutan that had 3D images of the wildlife... been a fan of Bhutan since

[@megafonebrad]

Hey Simon, have you thought about making a video about Freedom Ship?

[@ImDale501]

I love megaprojects, it has a business blaze vide but it’s actually informative 😂

[@twocvbloke]

I just noticed, the exercise bike has turned into a sofa, smart move, sofas are much comfier to lounge on... :P