Olloo.mn - Mongolian News & Information - Railway system to get overhaul

Prime Minister S. Bayar reviewed the Ulaanbaatar Railway Mongolian-Russian joint Venture Company situation and met leaders, engineers and technical staff on January 17.
MPs, the Minister of Road, Transport and Tourism R. Rash, and Ulaanbaatar Railway, a Mongolian-Russian joint Venture Company's chairperson V. Otgondemberel accompanied the Prime Minister The top ranking officials reviewed the locomotive depot, the passenger transport central hotel, the Ulaanbaatar Railways freight transportation service, the loading and unloading transport expedition mechanical section and the Ulaanbaatar Railways governing administration. Ulaanbaatar Railway Mongolian-Russian joint Venture Company operates 60 tp 70 percent of passengers' transportation circulation, more than 90 percent of Mongolia's freight turnover and serves 4.5 million passengers a year. Ten to 14 locomotives carry passenger wagons and 36 to 38 freight locomotives on main railway lines. The number of freight locomotives needs to reach to 49 and the Government and the Millennium Challenge Fund are going to make significant investment to improve activities of the shareholding society, which has operated the railway for 70 years and played a specific role in the economic development of Mongolia. The society still needs more funds for technical and renovation and Tgs 548,149 billion planned for development in 2008 to 2010 and funds for Tgs 155.6 billion should be resolved. The Prime Minister said he remembered at the beginning of the 1990s the Mongolian Railways, Erdenet plant and a number of agricultural organizations saved the country from a complicated economic situation. 66 percent of railway freight railway wagons operated for 36 years and it was time for them to be retired. He said much was needed to be implemented in the Mongolian railways. He said, "When 1 worked as ambassador in the Russian Federation 1 proposed reconsideration of the 1949 Railways Treaty and helped Prime Ministers of our countries conduct telephone conversation on the topic. It is regretful that the question has not been resolved up to today. Soon 1 shall leave for Russia on a visit and plan to talk with the Russians on the treaty issue. Mr Otgondemberel said there were plans to resolve transportation problems successfully next summer. Wagons and locomotives functioned normally without delay but in summer demand would grow 20 to 30 percent. He said, "We should be prepared 96 percent of freight circulation, 52 to 60 percent of transport freight turnover and 60 to 70 percent of passenger transportation was carried out by the railways. 4.5 million people traveled by rail per annum. The number of locomotives also need to be increased and this would happen by modernizing four US models and two new diesel wagons. He said, "We began to exploit the 2TY116 new locomotive built in Lugansk and recently imported some from the Ukraine with leasing arrangements." In 2007 the society experienced transport losses of Tgs 14.8 billion. Cargo wagons use was high and last year 81 wagons were written off. The terms of capital repair of the 444 km railway in Sukhbaatar to Ulaanbaatar to Zamyn Uud was overdue. The 256 km railways from Ulaanbaatar to Baruunkharaa route needed repair. If in 2007. 14 million tons of freight was transported , the number was expected to reach 15,78 million in 2008 and 20 million in 2010. which proved railways transportation capacity grew annually and that it needed technological innovation. The number of freight wagons which was 38 in 2007 should reach 49 with three new locomotives, five from the US and three from Russia in 2008. to 55 in 2009 and 62 in 2010. D.Ulziisaikhan The Mongol Messenger
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