Xining Railway Station is more than a transit node — it is the gateway to the Tibetan Plateau and the embarkation point for the Lhasa Express, one of the world's most celebrated rail journeys. The station has been rebuilt and expanded several times; the current structure is large, modern, and well-organised. The departure hall for Tibet trains is on the upper level, with a separate Tibet check-in process that requires permit verification.
The area around the station is one of the more interesting parts of the city to observe: at any time of day there are monks in robes carrying bags of provisions to take back to their monasteries, nomads in traditional dress heading home from the city, Han Chinese businesspeople with laptop bags, and the full mix of Qinghai's ethnic groups in one place. The night before a Tibet train departure, the station area becomes particularly animated.