China set to increase Lhasa train services

Plans are afoot in China to boost the number of train services from the country's biggest cities to Lhasa, allowing holidaymakers better access to the popular Tibetan destination.

According to a Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company spokesman, there will be more trains running each day between Guangzhou and Lhasa. Train services between Chengdu and Lhasa will also be increased.

As of yet just seven of China's largest cities run trains to Lhasa, but it is thought local passengers and foreign visitors will benefit from added services once they are launched.

Beijing, Shanghai and Xining already run trains to Lhasa on a daily basis, said China's news agency Xinhua.

The Tibetan region is increasingly growing in popularity among tourists, with a 23.7% spike in visitor numbers in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year.