A Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait first-class, heavy-duty rail line has been put into operation today, September 9.

The commissioning ceremony of the railway has been held at Tavantolgoi station, Tsogttsetsii soum, Umnugobi aimag, with the presence of President U.Khurelsukh, Minister of Road and Transport Development S.Byambatsogt, Minister of Mining and Heavy Industry J.Ganbaatar, Minister of Economy and Development Ch.Khurelbaatar, MPs and local officials.

Expressing his gratitude to all the people who took part in this development project, President U.Khurelsukh emphasized that the railway was built by Mongolians and is the first railway owned 100 percent by Mongolia.

Making the first transportation on the newly-commission railway, the first freight train has left for the Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait route.

The Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait railway covers Tsogtsetsii, Bayn-Ovoo, and Khanbogd soums of Umnugobi aimag. It is 233.6 kilometers long mainline from Tavantolgoi mining to port Gashuunsukhait, a total of 321.6 kilometers, two stations, and six crossings. With the construction of this railway, the country will transport and export 30-50 million tons of coking coal and increase the volume of supply 2-3 times.

In addition, it will reduce coal export cost to China through Mongolian territory by four times from USD 47 to USD 12 per ton. It also creates the possibilities of supporting coal and copper export, competing in the global market by lower price, transporting and competing with lower price to Chinese ports such as Huanghua, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Jinzhou and third-country markets.

Socioeconomic analysis:

-Drastically reduce pasture destruction, dust, noise, air and soil pollution.

-Reduce the number of traffic accidents and improve road safety

-Support the export of coal and copper by rail, transport mining products to China and third countries via China seaports, and allow Mongolian mining companies to compete in the world market at lower prices

-Create 2000 permanent jobs

-Support economy by USD 44 million annual tax payment

-Increase the mining volume of the Tavantolgoi mining network by 2-3 times.