All Aboard for Pakistan
Things really seem to be happening over the Khunjrab Pass which serves as the main transport link between China’s Xinjiang province and Pakistan. Xinjiang’s governor Ismail Tiliwaldi was quoted yesterday as saying that his government will look into a rail link between the two Central Asian regions.
Such a link would be a massive engineering undertaking. The pass between Xinjiang and Pakistan rises to some 4733 meters, meaning the line would rival the 1,956-km-long Qinghai-Tibet railway, which links Xining, Qinghai’s capital in northwest China, with Lhasa, capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Qinghai-Tibet railway records the highest elevation of any rail line in the world, reaching 5,072 meters above sea level at Tanggula Range.
This railway would be a boon for both travel and trade in the region. As regards travel, tourists would be able to stop over in Kashgar to enjoy Central Asia’s largest market and some of the sights of the silk road before heading on to Pakistan. Xinjiang’s trade would be the biggest winner as this would truly open up Pakistani ports, simplifying access to lucrative European markets.
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