The government will build a railway to ease the  capital’s worsening traffic congestion and air pollution, local media reported Wednesday.

Roads and Transportation Minister A. Gansukh said the new Bogd Khan railway would run along the foot of Bogd Khan mountain south of the city and go through Ulaan Baatar to Tuv province.

Unlike the old railway in the capital, the 170-km line will not affect the already heavy city traffic as it will pass through the sparsely populated areas of Ulaan Baatar. It is expected to ease traffic congestion by diverting passengers and cargo from the old railway.
It was estimated passengers will be able to cross the city in only 15 minutes once the line is built.

Ulaan Baatar’s population has doubled from about 600,000 people in 1989 to more than 1.2 million in 2010, while the number of registered vehicles has increased 4.4 times from 1998, causing severe traffic congestion and air pollution.

The government has intensified its efforts to ease the jams, including massive road construction and renovation and driving restrictions based on car plate numbers since Aug. 27.