The Ulaanbaatar Railway and Solving the Development Blockage
I traveled to Erdenet by train a week ago. This route is time-saving and helpful in avoiding traffic risks because the schedule is convenient. The train leaves Ulaanbaatar at night, arrives in Erdenet in the morning, and leaves Erdenet at night, allowing passengers to go about their business during the daytime. On social media, I have expressed my gratitude for the schedule and stated that there is ample space for improvement in their services after my trip. Here’s what was written, how it was received on social media, what led to this, and how to fix it. Interestingly, my adventure coincided with the appointment of the long-awaited new chairman of UBTZ (Ulaanbaatar Railway).
Heated debate on social media
I published the following post on the Jargal Defacto (94 thousand followers) Facebook page and Jargal Dambadarjaa (260 thousand followers) Twitter page on 2021.11.30.
“On the non-user-friendly services at the Ulaanbaatar Railway:
Wheelchair users and the elderly cannot climb to the train using the ladder. When will the platform reach the accessible level? Do we have to wait for another 70 years!
Why are we only allowed to book the tickets three days before the trip? In other countries, you can buy them online months in advance. Could it be more backward?
Why is the bathroom locked between 22:00-07:00? Using the bathroom is a human right. Brothers and sisters, please share until this post reaches the Mongolian and Russian leaders of the Ulaanbaatar Railway!”
The reason why I wrote this:
Since the platform at the Ulaanbaatar railway is too low for the passengers to reach the train, the elderly or the people with heavy luggage require others’ assistance for entering or exiting the train. Young people are not aware of this problem. We all know that everywhere around the world the train is at the same level as the platform. It has been 70 years since this railway was constructed for military purposes. Why isn’t the situation being addressed?
I wanted to buy a ticket early to prepare for the trip, but they sell tickets three days before the trip. It was not clear if seats would be available, so I had to wait for the scheduled date and try to buy as early as possible. All transportation tickets can be purchased online months in advance, anywhere, anytime in other countries. If you didn’t manage to book, you can even buy it after boarding the train.
After departing at 20:40, they locked the bathroom at 22:00. The bathroom was locked all night, and I was able to use it at 7 in the morning. Then, I was asked to return the bed sheets right after getting back inside my roomette.
As of 2021.12.06, the above post reached 242 thousand people and sparked a heated debate with mixed reactions, which clearly indicates how much improvement is needed from both sides of the equation.
The root cause
The Ulaanbaatar Railway, which the Russian and Mongolian governments jointly own, lags far behind the demand for development because its ownership and management contradict the fundamental principles of the market economy we are building in our society.
The Ulaanbaatar Railway is a monopolistic company loaded with non-business pressures, prices limited by politicians, and operations that do not bring profits. In the 21st century, it still runs on fuel and coal and is not electrified. While all Russian trains run on electricity now, there is no sign of electrification any time soon. Another setback is the use of a single track, and when trains have to cross paths, one of them waits on a special track.
Despite the tenfold growth in the Mongolian economy during the last 30 years, the management and the capacity of this railway are still backward. If they keep their monopoly both for tracks and moving parts and not let other companies run on the tracks, the development prospects are very low. This situation can be likened to someone building a road and only allowing their car on it.
However, it becomes increasingly clear how important the railway is for the development of our country, especially during this pandemic. Overall, the Ulaanbaatar Railway has always been politicized and used as a funding mechanism for the political parties in power. The appointment of its chairman was halted due to political reasons. As a result, the service deteriorated to a low level.
As the employees receive low wages, are exposed to highly stressful working conditions and are debt-ridden, work has become a burden for them. Comments published on the post by other passengers share the common dissatisfaction with the service. You can see hundreds of comments about the staff’s attitude quoting their statements, such as “go ride the taxi,” “ask for the price you pay,” “pay money for taking a picture in front of the train.”
What should be done?
Railway development is essential. The 1949 agreement needs to be amended, and many things need to be clarified to further define the strategy around infrastructure. Despite consideration of the historical reasons, it is odd that Mongolia jointly owns the infrastructure on its territory with a foreign country.
Regarding the future railways built by Mongolians that will connect to the existing railway system, the infrastructure needs to be state-owned. First, the moving parts need to be owned by different companies. Then the prices need to be freed, except for granting discounts to those who need it. Furthermore, these changes must enable self-funded additional investments and technology upgrades.
There is an urgent need for railway developments such as the construction of double tracks, electrification, platform improvements, passenger train renovations, service diversification, connectivity enhancements including onboard Wi-Fi, and reception services.
I suggest that the new chairman pays attention to this and travels undercover on all routes in a regular seat, rather than in the special comfortable car of the chairman. In Georgia, President Saakashvili has driven his car “undercover” and managed to stop the notorious corruption of the traffic police.
2021.12.06
Trans. by Riya.T and Munkh-Erdene.D