Photo taken on December 27, 2020 shows a bridge of Lhasa-Nyingchi section of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Photo: Xinhua

The National Sichuan-Tibet Railway Technology Innovation Center was inaugurated on Sunday in the high-tech development zone in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, marking a milestone in the exploration of core technologies and the promotion of major innovations in the construction of railways, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The center will focus on the building and engineering needs of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, including construction, environmental protection, disaster protection, equipment research, operation management and other tasks of the project.

The center will also promote major scientific and technological innovation and key technical solutions with a full-supply chain service system that includes big data intelligent support, inspection and testing, and consulting and training.

The platform will support cooperation and resource sharing among related enterprises, universities and research institutes, and investment institutions to attract and cultivate high-end innovative talents.

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway is by far one of the most challenging engineering construction projects in human history. After its completion, it will accelerate the overall economic development of the Tibet Autonomous Region and play an important role in safeguarding border stability.

The construction of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway is of strategic importance for the overall development of Tibet, Xiong Kunxin, a professor of ethnic studies at the Tibet University in Lhasa, told the Global Times previously.

As a major infrastructure project, the railway will improve the transportation conditions of the region to promote and facilitate exchanges between Tibet and the rest of China. The project will help transport modern equipment and cutting-edge technologies from other places of the country to Tibet and move local products out of the region, Xiong noted. 

Observers said that the new railway line will put Tibet on a "fast track" to catch up with other more developed regions of China.