青藏铁路是青海省西宁市至西藏自治區拉萨市的铁路，全长1956公里，为 II 级单线铁路，由青藏铁路公司管理及运营。鐵路沿線共設有45個車站，位於西藏境內的車站均充滿了藏族特色，且無一相同。全线桥隧总长约占线路总长的8%，格尔木至拉萨段的冻土层行車時速最高為100公里，非冻土层时速最高120公里。目前旅客列车全程行車時間約為25小時。
世界记录
- 青藏铁路是世界上海拔最高，线路最长的高原铁路。最高点位在海拔5072公尺的唐古拉山口，号称是离天堂最近的铁路。
- 世界上海拔最高的火车站 - 唐古拉站，海拔5068.63米。
- 世界上海拔最高的冻土隧道 - 风火山隧道，海拔4905米，全长1338米。
- 世界上最长的高原冻土隧道 - 昆仑山隧道，海拔4648米，全长1686米。
- 世界上建在冻土地段上最长的铁路桥 - 清水河大桥，全长11.7公里。
隐忧
有报道说，2006年7月铁道部新闻发言人王勇平首度承认，青藏铁路出现了四大隐患：
- 冻土区个别地段出现路基下沉，开裂。冻土层冻结时体积增大，形成冻胀现象，融化时，形成融沉现象。严重冻胀，融沉来回侵蚀，可能导致工程结构变形，使铁路线路失去平顺性，影响列车正常行驶。
- 一些混凝土结构物，桥梁现表面裂纹。
- 部分区段沙害比预想严重。西藏自治区的沙漠化土地面积高达21万平方公里，是全球重要的沙尘暴发源地之一。地质沙害对铁路安全造成的伤害也出乎意料。
- 牦牛上道问题突出，危及客车安全，2006年7月5日，西藏雁石坪镇南一公里外，数十机头牦牛长时间滞留在新开通的青藏铁路铁轨上。
A train pulled by an NJ2 locomotive travels on the Qingzang railway in 2008.The Qinghai–Xizang railway, Qingzang railway, or Qinghai –Tibet railway is a high-elevation railway that connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in People's Republic of China.
The total length of Qingzang railway is 1956 km (1215 mi). Construction of the 815 km (506 mi) section between Xining and Golmud was completed by 1984. The 1142 km (709 mi) section between Golmud and Lhasa was inaugurated on 1 July 2006 by president Hu Jintao: the first two passenger trains were "Qing 1" (Q1) from Golmud to Lhasa, and "Zang 2" (J2) from Lhasa.This railway is the first to connect the Tibet Autonomous Region to any other province, which, due to its elevation and terrain, is the last province-level entity in mainland China to have a conventional railway. Testing of the line and equipment started on 1 May 2006. Passenger trains run from Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xining and Lanzhou.
The line includes the Tanggula Pass, which, at 5,072 m (16,640 feet) above sea level, is the world's highest rail track. The 1,338 m Fenghuoshan tunnel is the highest rail tunnel in the world at 4,905 m above sea level. The 4,010-m Guanjiao tunnel is the longest tunnel from Xining to Golmod and the 3,345-m Yangbajing tunnel is the longest tunnel from Golmod to Lhasa. More than 960 km, or over 80% of the Golmud-Lhasa section, is at an elevation of more than 4,000 m. There are 675 bridges, totalling 159.88 km, and about 550 km of the railway is laid on permafrost.
