Rail transport in Mongolia
Rail transport in Mongolia is an important means of travel in the landlocked nation with few paved roads. According to official statistics, rail transport carried 93% of Mongolian freight and 43% of passenger turnover in 2007.[1] The Mongolian rail system employs 12,500 people.[2] The national operator is UBTZ (Ulaanbataar Railway, Mongolian: Улаанбаатар төмөр зам), traditionally also known as Mongolian Railway (MTZ, Mongolian: Монголын төмөр зам). The Mongolian Railway College is located in Ulaanbataar. [3]
Routes
The Trans-Mongolian Railway connects the Trans-Siberian Railway from Ulan Ude in Russia to Erenhot and Beijing in China through the capital Ulan Bator. The Mongolian section of this line runs for 1,110 kilometres (690 mi).[2] The Trans-Mongolian Railway runs through Mongolia on 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in) Russian gauge track, changing to standard gauge track after entering China. There are several spur lines: to the copper combine in Erdenet, to coal mines in Sharyngol, Nalaikh and Baganuur, to the flourspar mine in Bor-Öndör and to the former Soviet military base in Züünbayan.
A separate railway line exists in the east of the country between Choibalsan and the Trans-Siberian at Borzya; however, that line is closed to passengers beyond the Mongolian town of Chuluunkhoroot.[4] This line used to have a spur line to the uranium mine at Mardai, however this spur line was torn up and sold in the late 1990s/ early 2000s.
For domestic transport, daily trains run from Ulaanbaatar to Darkhan, Sukhbaatar, and Erdenet, as well as Zamyn-Üüd, Choir and Sainshand. Mongolia uses the 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in) (Russian gauge) with a total system length of 1,810 kilometres (1,120 mi).[5]
Proposals
- Standard gauge:
- Ukhaa Khudag (part of the Tavan Tolgoi coal field) - Oyu Tolgoi (copper/gold mine) - Gashuun Sukhait (Chinese border): ca. 260 km [6]
- Nariin Sukhait (coal mine) - Shiveekhüren (Chinese border): ca. 45 km
- Broad gauge:
- Tavan Tolgoi - Oyu Tolgoi - Sainshand - Choibalsan: ca. 1100 km
Rolling stock
As Mongolia's railroads are not electrified, UBTZ relies entirely on Diesel traction. Most common locomotives are M62 variants, including five rebuilt 2Zagal (Mongolian: two white horses) double engines.[7] Other engines include TEM2 and TE116 variants, DASH-7 and one Evolution locomotive on lease from GE.[8] In October 2010, Ulaanbaatar Railway ordered 35 2TE116UM diesel freight locomotives from Transmash.[9]
Maps
See also
References
- ↑ Freight and passenger turnover in tons*km and passenger*km, respectively. 2007 Statistical Yearbook of Mongolia, p. 252
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Montsame News Agency. Mongolia. 2006, ISBN 99929-0-627-8, p. 93
- ↑ http://www.4icu.org/reviews/12212.htm
- ↑ Lonely Planet Mongolia: Choibalsan transport
- ↑ Lonely Planet Mongolia: Rail Transport
- ↑ "Ukhaa Khudag-Gashuun Sukhait Railway". SMEC Holdings. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
- ↑ 2Zagal-006 and -007 are rebuilt TE10s.
- ↑ GE press release
- ↑ "Railway Gazette: Ulaanbaatar Railway orders Transmash locomotives". Retrieved 2010-11-01.
External links
- (Mongolian) Official site Railway Authority of Mongolia
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