我們之前的節目中，已經看過一些貧困地區，新建的設施讓當地人們獲得健康、教育和希望。

今天，我會講講在西藏發生的故事。

西藏是中國西南部的一個地區，位於地球最大的高原上，海拔約4500公里，依偎在連接世界最高峰的傳奇山脈之間。

西藏有多方面的問題，主要是由於其地理環境的影響，地形美麗但對於人類生活是一種考驗。過去，在這片土地上的投資發展緩慢。目前情況正在改變。而如果有一個項目象徵著這種轉變，那就是青藏鐵路。

這條鐵路因其所在的高原而得名，是世界上海拔最高的鐵路，其軌道綿延近2,000公里，將中國傳統上最貧窮的一些地區與北京、上海、重慶和廣州等大城市連接在一起。

交通的重要性毋庸置疑。世界銀行將差劣的交通描述為地方和全球貧困的主要原因之一。在交通落後的地方，整個社會經濟也落後，追不上其他地方的經濟發展。

交通在任何地方都很重要，尤其對於偏遠地區而言。這些地方因路途遙遠而與世隔絕，還有山丘、山谷和其他險要地形帶來的不便。

缺少道路和巴士、火車等基本交通，生活在這些社區的人被切斷了向上發展的機會。儘管在中國，電子商務和微信等流動平台的出現有助縮小差距。

因此，當你想想看，火車能做的事情真的非常神奇。它將我們聯繫起來，使我們能夠旅行，並沿著重要的貿易路線運輸人員、貨物和服務。

受火車路線開通影響最大的地方，莫過於西藏和其周邊地區。乘客穿梭於青海的西寧和西藏的拉薩之間，人潮不僅向外輻射，也湧入當地，帶來投資、旅遊和消費。

在西藏種植的產品，如高原青稞啤酒、高原礦泉水和當地民族工藝品，也通過青藏鐵路走出高原，走向外面的世界。鐵路帶來雙向的流動，曾經在西藏買不到的商品現在通過火車運進來，推動了消費，也帶來了源源不斷的新想法。

我們不要忘記，這條火車路線本身就是一項工程壯舉，它成為了高速和高海拔路線的全球指標。現在當局已開始對格爾木，一個由嚴冬和暖夏塑造的縣級城市，和拉薩之間超過1100公里的軌道進行電氣化改造。

我們將持續關注這個故事，繼續探索創新對數百萬人生活產生的影響，以及它是如何幫助實現一個更加平等和包容的未來。

On this show, we’ve looked at impoverished communities where steel ladders and rural ziplines have given people access to health, education, and hope. 

Today, I’ll tell you about that story in Tibet.

Tibet is a region in southwest China, positioned on the largest plateau on Earth some 4,500 km above ground, and nestled between legendary mountain ranges that connect to the world’s highest summits.

In Tibet, the issues are multifold, mainly due to the impact of its geography, the beautiful but testing terrain, and slow investment in the past. That is changing. And if there is one project that symbolizes that turnaround, it’s the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

Named for the plateau on which it sits, this is the highest railway in the world with a track that stretches almost 2,000 km and links to what are traditionally some of the poorest parts of China to megacities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Guangzhou.

This is important because the World Bank describes poor transport as one of the leading causes of local and global poverty, where entire societies are allowed to fall behind and miss out on the experience of transformation happening elsewhere.

Transport is important anywhere, especially in remote areas separated not only by distance, but also hills, valleys, and other challenging terrain.

Without roads and basic services like buses and trains, the people who live in these communities are cut-off from opportunities, although in China the emergence of e-commerce and mobile platforms such as WeChat have helped bridge the gaps.

So, when you think about it, it’s amazing what trains can do. They connect us, they enable us to travel, and they transport people, goods, and services along important trade routes.

And nowhere is that having more impactful than in Tibet and the areas that surround it. Passengers are shuttled between Xining in Qinghai to Lhasa in Tibet. But people are not only radiating outwards, but also pouring in, bringing in investment, tourism, and consumer spending.

In turn, products cultivated in Tibet such as highland barley beer, plateau mineral water, and local ethnic crafts make their way to the outside world, exiting the plateau through the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. And given that it’s two-way, commodities once unavailable in Tibet are now coming in by train, driving consumption but also bringing in new ideas.

Let’s not forget that the train line itself is a feat of engineering and a global benchmark in high-speed and high-elevation travel. Now, work has begun on electrifying over 1,100 km of the track that runs between Golmud, a county-level city shaped by hard winters and warm summers, and Lhasa at one end of the network.

We’ll follow this story as we continue exploring the impact of innovation on millions of lives, and how this is helping realize a more equal and inclusive future.