Zhang Peng, an aid cadre to the Xizang autonomous region, has applied to permanently extend his service at Lhasa Railway Station to remain on the plateau after what began as a temporary posting.

When Zhang arrived in December 2023, severe altitude sickness left him uncertain whether he could stay. More than two years later, he has become a key member of the station's management team.

Now head of the Technical Information Section, Zhang has worked to improve operational safety on the high-altitude railway, revising 21 technical regulations and helping develop equipment standards tailored to the plateau's extreme conditions.

"The cadres and staff here guard this railway with their lives, not simply by holding their posts," Zhang was quoted as saying by Xizang Daily. He said the sense of responsibility, along with the close cooperation among Tibetan, Han, and other ethnic workers, strengthened his decision to remain. "I am a member of Lhasa Station," he said.

"Here, I have truly felt the weight of the Qinghai–Xizang Railway spirit, challenging limits and striving for excellence," Zhang said. "Working alongside plateau railway workers has become the most precious experience of my life."