Departing from Beijing's West Railway Station at 21:30, train T27/8 will arrive in Lhasa in Tibet at 20:58 on the third day, the 4,064-kilometer trip taking 47 hours and 28 minutes, said sources on Monday.

China has set the timetables for the first three pairs of trains from five cities to Lhasa along the world's highest Qinghai-Tibet Railway which is due to open for trial operations on July 1.

Among the three pairs of train routes, there are a pair of express trains to run from Beijing to Lhasa, four pairs of express trains between Chengdu (Chongqing) and Lhasa, and two pairs of fast trains between Xining (Lanzhou) and Lhasa.

The T27/8 train, departing from Beijing's West Railway Station to Lhasa, the 4,064-kilometer trip will pass through six cities, including Shijiazhuang, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud and Nagqu township.

The return trip from Lhasa to Beijing is scheduled to take 32 minutes longer than the outbound trip.

The trip from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Lhasa, with a length of 3,360 kilometers, will take about 48 hours and 10 minutes by the trains T22/23, while the return journey by the train T24/1 will be 48 hours 50 minutes. This train will pass Guangyuan, Baoji, then link to Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud and Nagqu township before it reaches Lhasa.

The 3,654-kilometer trip from Chongqing to Lhasa will have eight stops before it arrives in Lhasa after 47 hours and eight minutes. While the trip from Lhasa to Chongqing will take 48 hours and 50 minutes.

Journey from Lanzhou to Lhasa by the train K917/8 will take only 29 hours and 45 minutes to travel 2,188-kilometers.

The journey from Xining in Qinghai province to Lhasa, which is 1,972 kilometers, will be 26 hours and 23 minutes.

Ticket prices for the above-mentioned train routes have also been set.

The world's highest railway, extends 1,956 kilometers from Xining to Lhasa. Some 960 kilometers of its tracks are 4,000 meters above sea level and the highest point is 5,072 meters, at least 200 meters higher than the Peruvian railway in the Andes, which was formerly the world's highest altitude railway.

Ticket prices set for 5 cities to Lhasa along Qinghai-Tibet railway

It's expected to cost less than 50 U.S dollars to travel from Beijing to Lhasa on the new Qinghai-Tibet railway - a journey of more than 4,000 kilometers, said sources in Beijing on Monday.

In China, three types of train tickets are available at differing prices. The basic coach ticket, called a hard seat will sell for 389 yuan (48.6 U.S. dollars) from Beijing to Lhasa, while the price for hard sleeper or bunk will cost 813 yuan (101.6 dollars), and the price for a shared compartment or soft sleeper is 1,262 yuan (157.75 dollars).

For the 3,360-kilometer trip between Chengdu, provincial capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, and Lhasa, the hard seat price is 331 yuan (41.38 dollars), the hard sleeper price is 712 yuan (89 dollars), and the cost of a soft sleeper is 1,104 yuan (138 dollars).

For the trip between the southwest-located Chongqing, one of China's four municipalities, and Lhasa, a hard seat ticket for the 3,654-kilometer journey is 355 yuan (44.38 dollars), while the price for hard sleeper is 754 yuan (94.25 dollars), while a soft sleeper will cost 1,168 yuan (146 dollars).

Ticket prices from Lanzhou in northwest China to Lhasa, a trip of 2,188-kilometers, are: hard seat 242 yuan (30.25 dollars), hard sleeper 552 yuan (69 dollars), and soft sleeper price 854 yuan (106.25 dollars).

From Qinghai's provincial capital Xi'ning to Lhasa, which is 1,972 kilometers, the hard seat price is 226 yuan (28.25 dollars),the hard sleeper price is 523 yuan (65.38 dollars), and the soft sleeper price is 810 yuan (101.25 dollars).

The Qinghai-Tibet railway is due to begin trial operations on July 1.

The world's highest railway, extends 1,956 kilometers from Xining to Lhasa. Some 960 kilometers of its tracks are located 4,000 meters above sea level and the highest point is 5,072 meters, at least 200 meters higher than the Peruvian railway in the Andes, which was formerly the world's highest altitude railway.