Many countries likely to be involved in building new railway

Minister for Roads, Transport, Construction and Urban Development Kh.Battulga has expressed his happiness that Parliament adopted the State Policy on Railway as proposed by the Government, without any major change. He called it a historic event as the decision to set up the existing Ulaanbaatar Railway had been taken in Moscow, while this time Mongolians in Mongolia formulated and adopted a policy aimed at establishing a railway network that will allow Mongolia to export its minerals directly through several points, create many workplaces, and help develop processing industries.


He clarified that many countries are likely to be involved in the construction of the new railway. The tracks will be owned by the state, but the carriages and locomotives can be owned by private companies. Work on the 1,100-km Tavan Tolgoi-Sainshand-Choibalsan section of the railroad will begin as soon as financing issues are settled. A preliminary feasibility study is ready and a more detailed study will take 3-5 months. It is easier to build a railway in the Gobi region than elsewhere in the country but maintenance work, especially what will need water, will be more difficult. The construction might take two years. The work will be done simultaneously in sections of 100 km.

The Minister revealed that offers have been received from South Korea, China, Russia and Mongolia to build the railway and a choice will be made this year. The gauge will generally be of the broader Russian specification, but the National Security Council, the Government and Parliament may change this in places where the deposit is near the Chinese border.