S.Bat-Ochir, director of UB
Railway’s Customer, Transportation Department, dismisses all talk about
non-availability of accommodation on trains to Zamiin-Uud and Dornogobi and
answers questions on the rumors.

Why
is it so difficult to get tickets to Zamiin-Uud? Will increasing the number of
passenger trains help matters?

The number of passengers,
not only to Zamiin-Uud but also to Russia, has increased a lot. It is connected
to the new academic year coming near. Parents are taking their children to
China to buy their stationery requirements. Those studying in Russia are
returning to school. That is why the demand for tickets has risen but it is
totally wrong that people are being tuned away. These are rumors spread by people
who want to make some money.

Is
it true that some people are standing in lines before the ticket office opens
to buy tickets?

This, too, is not true. You
can go and buy a ticket at any time. We are planning to have more accommodation
on trains to meet the increased demand. While additional bogeys are attached to
some trains, new trains will run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

How
many passengers does a train carry?

There are reserved cabins
for 36 people, semi-luxury accommodation for 54 more and ordinary berths for 81
more. Three extra compartments would mean place for 200 more passengers. About
2,100-2,200 passengers are travelling to Zamiin-Uud a day.

How
many ticket touts are there? Are railway workers involved in the illegal trade?

We have arrested several
people for selling tickets at higher prices. One of them even had six foreign
passports and nearly ten Civil ID cards. Our workers cannot be the part of the
racket as they are constantly watched.