Global warming threatens Tibet rail

Global warming could pose a threat to the controversial Trans-Tibet railway and undermine the track bed, state media reported Friday, citing reports issued at a climate change symposium. The railway, begun in 1958, is expected to be completed this year and speed up the development of Tibet, though some Tibetans oppose it. But if warming continues, the frozen track bed could start melting by 2050. The line will run 2,040 kilometers from Lhasa to Xining in Qinghai province.