Tibet luxury train project will not start in September: report

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

BEIJING (AFP) — A "five-star" train from Beijing to Tibet will not begin service in September as earlier indicated, state media reported on Saturday.

Xinhua news agency reported in early March, just days before deadly riots broke out in the Himalayan region of Tibet against Chinese rule, that the train would go into service on September 1.

"There is no detailed schedule yet, but I can confirm it won't start in September," Li Shunping, chief engineer of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Corporation (QTRC), was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The company did not provide a reason for the delay, though Xinhua said some local media had reported that delivery of the carriages could be a factor.

The carriage manufacturer, Bombardier Sifang Power, told the Qingdao...