World's Highest Railway Sinking

he world's highest Qinghai-Tibet railway line which was opened
 this month amid great celebration and fanfare has reportedly
 developed cracks in its concrete structures while its permafrost
 foundation is sinking and cracking.
 
 According to the Chinese railway officials, the frozen ground that
 forms the foundation of the railway is sinking and cracking in some
 sections, making the railway unstable in some places.
 
 Chinese President Hu Jintao opened the railway to the Tibetan
 capital of Lhasa July 1, calling it a magnificent engineering feat
 and a miracle for the world. The 4.2-billion dollar railway line
 climbs a peak of 5,072 meters (16,737 feet) above sea level along
 the Tibetan plateau.
 
 Climatologists had earlier warned that rising temperatures could
 lead to the melting of the permafrost foundation of the railway, but
 said nothing about the frozen ground sinking or cracking.
 
 However critics argue the line will allow the national majority Han
 Chinese to flood in to Tibet, leading to the devastation of the
 local Tibetan culture, as well as accelerate environmental
 degradation of the pristine region. The Chinese government sees it
 as a project to tap natural resources on the vast Tibetan plateau
 and bring the region out of poverty.