MATTER ON NEW RAILWAY IS "HOT"

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ What to choose--a broad rail gauge (1,520 mm) or a standard gauge (1,435 mm) for a new railway--is still a dispute at parliament. The railway is being discussed to be run from the Tavan tolgoi coal deposit to the Gashuunsukhait border checkpoint. This matter was strong at a meeting of the Standing committee on economics on Wednesday during a report on implementation of the #39 resolution on exploiting the Tavan tolgoi coal deposit. The Minister of Industry and Agriculture Kh.Battulga said that it has been decided to construct the broad gauge for the new railway in accordance with a parliamentary-adopted policy document regarding railways, but he wanted to make clear why the standard gauge has been chosen as a head of the Mongolian Railways M.Enkhsaikhan said. To this responded an executive director of the "Erdenes Tavan tolgoi" LLC Ya.Batsuuri saying the calculations have proved a usefulness of the standard gauge, "but a final decision will be made by parliament and government." "Any policy worked out by the State Great Khural and the government must be realized by all ministries and agencies. Railway is a vital part of exporting mineral products. Some 1,800 km railways will be run, but the most important thing is that its first line is to be between the TT deposit and the Gashuunsukhait border checkpoint. A related working group on it has been set up," the Minister of Mining D.Gankhuyag said. He also claimed that the Minister of Road and Transportation A.Gansukh knows well the railway matter. Saying that the railway issue must be raised during discussing the TT deposit, N.Battsereg MP underlined an importance of hearing information and reports from the Ministers of Mining and of Road and Transportation, and other related officials. B.Khuder