The Qinghai-Tibet railway was inaugurated in July 2006. All of the trains to Lhasa pass through Xining, making the city the gateway to Lhasa. Getting train tickets from Xining to Lhasa are easier than in the larger cities of Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The train from Xining to Lhasa is a little over 24 hours long.
Currently all foreigners who travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region need a Tibet Travel Permit. Permits to go to Lhasa can be easily arranged at travel agencies in big cities eg Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing and in Qinghai province in Xining, Golmud. In Golmud it is reported that travel agencies there charge a higher price for the permit.
