Tavan Tolgoi coal transported via Zuunbayan-Khangi railway and exported through the Khangi-Mandal port

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. As part of the Port Revitalization of the “New Revitalization Policy” implemented by the Mongolian Government, the 226.9-kilometer Zuunbayan-Khangi railway, a new export and import gateway, was put into operation on November 25, 2022.

In March 2022, the Prime Minister of Mongolia, L. Oyuun-Erdene, had instructed to put the railway into operation in a short time. The construction work was completed within eight months through a public-private partnership and the railway is ready to start transportation. Prime Minister L. Oyuun-Erdene attended and delivered a speech at the opening of the railway.

The Prime Minister also demonstrated to the world that we Mongolians can start work and complete it in a short time. Noting that this construction will positively impact Mongolia in many ways and have a significant impact on the investment environment, he expressed his gratitude to the national enterprises, engineering and technical workers, personnel of the Armed Forces, students and youth, and local residents who participated in the construction.

120 enterprises, more than 600 engineers, and more than 3,000 workers are participating in the construction of the railway, creating more than 1,300 permanent jobs. This construction, branching off from the Zuunbayan Railway, is creating the first triple railway junction in Mongolia.

With the commissioning of the Zuunbayan-Khangi Railway, the capacity of import and export goods will increase by a total of 20 million tons, the total volume of railway transportation will increase by 65 percent, and the transportation to the world market will be shortened by 242 km, saving transportation costs and time.

The new railway crossing will allow the free market competition for the transportation of Oyu Tolgoi copper concentrate, Tavan Tolgoi coking coal and other export products, increasing the value of more than 10 mineral deposits in the Gobi region and creating an opportunity to export value-added products.

After participating in the opening ceremony, Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene inspected the work of the border connection section of the railway and the freight terminal. The Zuunbayan-Khangi railway is characterized by its wide and narrow gauge crossing. This allows direct connection to the Mandal port of China.

The railway has a carrying capacity of 25 tons, is equipped with crushed stone ballast, reinforced concrete bed, and a 3rd-class signaling, centralization, and prohibition system. The construction was carried out through a public-private partnership between Mongolian Trans Line LLC and Mongolian Trans Logistics LLC.