Golmud Railway Station

Station name and what to look for

Match the Chinese characters on your ticket to the characters above. English translations of Chinese station names vary between booking sites, but the Chinese name is the same everywhere.

About the station

Golmud is the last significant settlement before the Qinghai–Tibet railway begins its climb onto the plateau proper, and historically the point where the road and rail routes to Tibet were consolidated. Almost every train to Lhasa passes through here.

The town sits at about 2,800 m and is a supply base for the potash industry in the Qaidam basin as well as for Tibet-bound traffic. It feels like a frontier town, which in a sense it is.

The station is straightforward, but the altitude and the dry air are the things to prepare for rather than the building.

Getting to and from Golmud

The station is close to the town centre and taxis are cheap. The town is spread out, so distances are longer than they look.

From here the railway climbs through Kunlun Pass and Tanggula Pass, the highest point on the route. Oxygen is available on Tibet-bound trains, but it is worth understanding that the ascent is real.

What catches travellers out here

• This is where altitude sickness becomes a genuine concern rather than a theoretical one. If you have not acclimatised in Xining, Golmud is a poor place to start climbing.
• Trains to Lhasa require correct documentation before boarding. Being at the right platform is not sufficient.

Other station guides in Qinghai

Before you travel

Tickets are issued against your passport and there is no paper ticket to collect for most domestic services. Read the booking guide if this is your first Chinese train, or the seat class guide if you are choosing between a hard sleeper and a soft sleeper. For the station itself, the general station guide explains how gates and boarding work at any Chinese station.