Ulaanbaatar Deputy Mayor D.Ganbold was for four years
head of the Railway Authority when he prepared several proposals for railway
development. He answers questions on the proposed railway policy.

The
new policy is now being discussing in Parliament…

Yes. We had prepared three such documents but not one was
approved. Let us see what happens this time.

How
did these earlier documents differ from the current one?

The key issues are the same. Railway is a basic sector, connected
to national security. I said in 2004 that we did not have the railway to meet the
demands of rapid economic growth. Our Railway Law applied only to railway
traffic. All other issues were governed by the agreement between the two
governments in 1949. Many of the terms of this agreement have become irrelevant
after 60 years. We prepared a wider new law and Parliament adopted it.

The proposals
that were not approved were related to the mining deposits?

Yes. The years from 2006 to 2008 saw economic growth everywhere
in the region and Ulaanbaatar Railway could not handle all the import load.
Engines kept breaking down and foreign companies refused to transport their
goods through Mongolia.
The freight volume increased 2-3 times and three new engines have been acquired.
That is all.  

It is clear that Mongolia needs a new railway. What
was built in 1949 has served us well but it cannot be expected to meet
present-day needs. To avoid any mountain and river, the 1,100-km railway from
Zamyn-Ud to Naushki does not go straight, making it difficult to pick up high
speed. It is impossible to expect this railway to carry the mining ore.