Construction of a 127 km railway bypass to divert freight traffic including hazardous goods away from Ulaanbaatar is progressing rapidly, with test running scheduled to begin in September and full operation potentially starting by the end of the year.

The line will branch from the main line between the Russian border at Sükhbaatar and Ulaanbaatar at Emeelt, to the west of the capital. It will then bypass the city to the south, running through the Khushig Valley before rejoining the main line at Bagakhangai, southeast of Ulaanbaatar.

The route passes close to Chinggis Khaan International Airport, the Khushig Valley logistics area and the planned Hunnu City development.
The 1.2tr togrog project is being undertaken by national railway MTZ. It includes three passing loops, and bridges with a combined length of approximately 2.5 km. The longest bridge is a 476 m crossing of the River Tuul.

Construction began in April 2025 on the 87.9 km Bagakhangai – Khushig Valley section, where the government says that the main construction works have now been completed. Work on the Khushig Valley – Emeelt section began in 2026.

Once completed, the bypass is expected to remove up to 1 800 heavy lorries per day from Ulaanbaatar’s roads. It is initially designed to handle around 3.5 million tonnes of freight annually, with capacity potentially increasing to 20 million tonnes.

Published Date:2026-08-31