Lhasa Railway Station, one end of Tibet Railway, is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) away from Potala Palace. At an altitude of 11,811 feet (3,600 meters), it is one of world’s highest railway stations. Currently, it operates trains to/from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou, and Shigatse.
Decorated in both traditional Tibetan and modern styles, the railway terminal building has three floors, two above ground and one underground. Upon entering the central hall on the first floor, passengers could imagine they were entering an ancient Tibetan palace, while the escalators and LED screens to draw them back to a modern society. In the southeast side of this floor, there is a large waiting room for passengers with soft seat tickets. In the west side of the floor are the ordinary waiting hall (Waiting Hall One) and the ticket hall. In addition to train tickets, flight and long-distance bus tickets are available at the ticket hall. On the second floor, there is a shopping place in the northeast side, and Waiting Halls Two and Three in the south side, equipped with Mother & Baby Waiting Room, Soldier Waiting Room, Room for Soft Seat Passengers, and a Medical Room with oxygen supply equipment. The underground floor is for arriving passengers. The whole building is heated by solar energy to avoid any pollution of the environment.
In front of the terminal building is a large-scale square. The city buses parking lot is on its east side. In its west side is the Liuwu Long-distance Bus Station. It has buses to Chamdo, Shangri-la, Zhangmu, Ngari, and Katmandu (capital of Nepal). Taxi stands which are just outside the Exit for passengers’ convenience, can be easily found.
Schedule and Ticket Booking
| To | Train No. | Duration | Ticket Price (CNY) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Sleeper/ Hard Sleeper | |||
| Beijing West | Z22 at 16:10 | 40h18m | 1,168/ 763 |
| Shanghai | Z166 at 11:15 | 48h36m | 1,310.5/ 841.5 |
| Guangzhou | Z266 at 13:00 | 55h | 1,526/ 919 |
| Chengdu | Z324 at 18:20 | 36h40m | 1,101/ 709 |
| Chongqing North | Z224 at 18:20 | 36h3m | 1,120/ 720 |
| Xian | Z166, Z266 at 11:15 and 13:00 | 32h49m/ 33h19m | 1,005.5/ 647.5 |
| Xining | Z918, Z166, Z266, Z324 4 departures from 08:59 to 18:20 | 20h59m – 21h53m | 815/ 530 |
| Lanzhou | Z918, Z166, Z266, Z22, Z324 5 departures from 08:50 to 18:20 | 24h5m – 24h56m | 852/ 550 |
| Nanjing | Z166 at 11:15 | 45h39m | 1,258.5/ 809.5 |
| Wuchang | Z266 at 13:00 | 43h37m | 1,221/ 786 |
| Changsha | Z266 at 13:00 | 47h7m | 1,293.5/ 832.5 |
| Shigatse (Rikaze) | Z8801, Z8803 at 08:30 and 15:20 | 2h39m/ 2h55m | 174.5/ 122.5 |
The above schedule is for reference only. For real-time schedule and ticket booking, please click the arrival stations.
Transportation
Buses from/to the station
| No. | Major Stops |
|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing Avenue, Century Avenue, Monument of Qinghai-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet Highways, Fukang Hospital, Qixiang Vegetable Market… |
| 6 | Financial School, West Suburban Coach Station, Tibet Museum, Chakpori Hill Farmer’s Market, Ruiji Hotel, Tibet University… |
| 13 | Museum, City Social Welfare Institute, North Suburban Coach Station, Zashi Lhamo Temple… |
| 14 | Liuwu Bridge, West Suburban Coach Station, Museum, Norbulingka, Lhasa Restaurant… |
Taxi
It takes about CNY25 to reach the urban area from the station by metered taxi. However, most drivers are reluctant to use the meter and they usually charge CNY30-50 for a single ride. If you share a taxi with others, it costs CNY15-20 per person.
Car Pooling
It costs about CNY10 per person by a minibus and the driver will take you anywhere you want within the urban area.
Transportation to Famous Attractions
Potala Palace: Take bus no. 6 to Chakpori Hill Farmer’s Market, and then walk about 547 yards (500 meters) to get there; or take bus no. 1 to Labai, and then walk about 875 yards (800 meters) to the Palace;
Barkhor Street: Take bus no.6 to Lugu, and then walk about 875 yards (800 meters) to reach there;
