Ulaanbaatar Railway tackles crowds and ticket scalpers
Below is a short interview with G.Munkhtsetseg, official of the Ulaanbaatar Railway, on how the company is providing services to its passengers.
-The ticket price of a train along the Zamyn Uud and Erenhot route decreased by 30 percent recently. This time of the year is the busiest time for this route, but the decreased ticket fare seems impractical now. Is this news true?
-We haven’t reduced the ticket fare of any train route. In the past five years, we have been selling our tickets at fixed prices. As we already offer rather cheap tickets, the reduction of any ticket fare is impossible. For domestic routes, tickets are sold for 10,000 MNT.
-Which route is currently the busiest with passengers?
-In summer, specifically in July and August, the number of passengers radically increases every year. During Naadam days, passengers to Zamyn-Uud decline and routes to Darkhan-Uul, Orkhon provinces and Sainshand get very busy. August is normally the busiest month for Ulaanbaatar Railway. Before the new academic year starts, the Ulaanbaatar-Zamyn Uud route has the most passengers. On Friday of every week, the load gets busier too.
We are working in three shifts now. In summer, companies and groups of people typically travel to Khamaryn Khiid in Sainshand soum of Dornogovi Province. Also, the number of passengers traveling to Bayanbuural Resort increases.
-How many trains are running on what routes now?
-Three trains are running in route to Zamyn Uud and Sainshand while four trains are running the Sukhbaatar route via Darkhan-Uul and Orkhon provinces. Two trains go to Zamyn-Uud every day. On Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, additional express trains are running too. From July 16, two trains that were out of service started to run as well.
-Is operating additional trains possible?
-We have to consider the load and operation management of the railway. Now, trains with 25 passenger and two load wagons are running to Zamyn-Uud. If Mongolia had twin railways, as other countries do, additional train service could be possible.
President Ts.Elbegdorj has pledged to focus on the railway sector this year. Thus, we expect many remarkable projects to improve our railway.
-Is there any pre-reservation service for buying tickets by phone?
-There is no way to reserve a ticket by phone. Passengers have to come to ticket sales spots themselves. In Ulaanbaatar, the Amgalan, Tolgoit and Ulaanbaatar Railway stations register ticket reservations under one program. Likewise, Darkhan, Orkhon and Sukhbaatar all operate under one system.
Passengers sometimes request saving one ticket for them by phone, but it is impossible, as other passengers buy the remaining tickets from other branches of the railway. Our officials are studying the possibility of launching online ticket reservations.
-At this time of year, traders purchase tickets in great numbers and sell them at higher prices to passengers. How is the Ulaanbaatar Railway focusing on preventing this issue?
-There are people who sell tickets at increased prices. Passengers deliver complaints and report that traders are selling high priced tickets when tickets have already run out at Ulaanbaatar Railway ticket sales offices. We have been cooperating with the Railway Authority and Police Departments to keep high priced tickets from citizens’ hands since June 21. Our sales locations are trying to check citizens’ identities and selling no more than two tickets to one passenger to prevent the issue. Pre-reservation is available from five months prior to travel on the route to Zamyn-Uud. We sell 50 percent of all tickets by pre-reservation. Remaining tickets are sold on the train’s travelling days.
-How many passengers travel to Zamyn-Uud by train per day? What was the maximum number?
-It varies. Before Naadam, over 1,000 to 1,100 passengers travel by train.
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