Promised for 2017, pushed to 2028, then 2030. Ulaanbaatar’s metro is now facing another setback, with the Ulaanbaatar city Mayor questioning whether the city can afford a project potentially costing more than ₮10 trillion.

• 🗣️ Mayor B.Purevdagva said that the capital would instead prioritize transport projects it can deliver sooner, starting in 2027. The metro has not been formally cancelled, but financing remains unsecured and construction has yet to begin.

💸 ₮10 Trillion: The Price of Ambition

The latest tender based estimate stands at ₮8.3 trillion, potentially exceeding ₮10 trillion once borrowing costs, currency differences and interest are included. The 19 km line would cost approximately ₮526 billion per kilometre, more than twice the city’s ₮4.6 trillion capital budget for 2026.

• 🚇 From 2028 to 2031, and Beyond? The metro’s opening date has repeatedly slipped. A 2023 announcement targeted 2028, while the 2025 financing plan pushed full service to 2031. The project has already consumed ₮59 billion, alongside a ₮156 billion consulting contract with Dohwa Engineering.

🚌 What Comes Instead?

The city plans 3 priority public transport routes, high-capacity ART vehicles and a 13 km elevated Sky Shuttle linking Yarmag with the 120 Myanga area. The mayor says the shuttle could cost 5 to 6 times less than a metro, although detailed financing and cost estimates remain unpublished.

Ultimately… For a city of 1.8 million struggling with chronic congestion, smaller projects that actually open may be more valuable than another decade of studies. Yet Ulaanbaatar has spent 15 years promising a metro without delivering one. With presidential elections approaching in 2027 and parliamentary elections in 2028, the metro may yet return as a campaign promise. The question is whether commuters will ever see it become reality.