Ulaanbaatar to have an alternative public transportation

On Monday, the Minister of Roads and Transportation A.Gansukh announced that the railway project, Bogd Khan Tumur Zam or Bogd Khan Railway, will be implemented and is planned to run along the southern side of Bogdkhan Mountain. The railway project will run from 2012 to 2016, and will connect the Mandal and Bagakhangai ports which have partaken in the project as well as a newly constructed a 170 km rail, crossing Tuv Province, Batsumber, Altanbulang, Sergelen, and Bayan soums. The Ulaanbaatar Railway is also one of the organizations that partook in the projects’ development. The cost of constructing the 170 km railway will amount to 326.8 million USD. The Bogd Khan Railway project, which will intersect Ulaanbaatar city with 35 km of railroad, will offer an alternative transportation method for the capital’s residents. When implemented the light railway transportation will be able to take people from one end of the city to the other in just 15 minutes. Specialists believe that the implementation of this project will add another means of transportation to the beleaguered city and thereby help reduce the city’s traffic congestions. At present, the traffic congestion in Ulaanbaatar city is centred most at intersections of the old railways and highways. The negative consequences of the old rail system includes fumes emanating from the locomotives, potential hazards caused by the chemically hazardous cargos and the loud noises produced all contribute to the violation of peaceful, healthy and safe environment of the capital residents. All of these issues can be potentially resolved by implementing the Bogd Khan Railway project. The Ministry of Roads and Transportation believes that it is best to implement the Bogd Khand Railway project by allowing private sectors to handle the implementation.