The project along what is known as the "roof of the world" is expected to cost 1.2 billion yuan (US$145 million) which will be provided by the central government, said Lu Chunfang, an official in charge of construction.

Mou Ruifang, an associate professor from the Chengdu-based Southwest Jiaotong University, said the roots of the grass will help stabilize the soil while the grass itself will protect both the track bed and the slopes from heavy rain.

Though the railway is not as long as the Great Wall, which stretches for more than 6,000 km, it will be a great "eco-wall" to maintain the plateau's ecological balance, Mou added.

Grass in an experimental area measuring 10 by 100 meters beside the railway has survived the frigid winter. Early next spring, workers will begin the extensive grass-planting on gradient slopes ranging from 3 to 10 meters in height.

The planting of grass alongside the railway line will be a challenging undertaking as more than 960 km - or more than four-fifths of the railway - will be at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters.

"We will take effective measures to preserve the moisture, temperature and soil nutrients," said Bao Liming, a senior engineer of the No 1 Railway Survey and Design Academy.

Tests have proved that planting in this way raises the grass survival rate to 70 per cent, doubling the natural growth rate, he added.

The gigantic afforestation scheme also includes conservation of the bush areas through which the railway will pass, and the building of 30 animal tunnels to ensure that antelope and other species can cross the railway safely after the line opens to traffic.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway will be part of a 1,956-km track linking Xining, capital of Northwest China's Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China.

(China Daily November 8, 2002)