Riding the Trans-Mongolian Railway, one of the world’s most epic train journeys
Horses were Mongolia’s chief means of getting around for thousands of years, and they remain an integral part of the national identity.
But in modern times, the iron horse has gained popularity as an excellent way to cross this vast central Asian nation.
Stretching 2,215 kilometers (1,376 miles) from Mongolia’s northern border with Russia to China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the south, the Trans-Mongolian Railway was completed in 1956 after nearly two decades of construction across some of the planet’s most scenic but arduous landscapes.
The train rumbles through stands of taiga (boreal forest), across the fabled steppes of central Mongolia and then the seemingly endless Gobi Desert. Remote towns and settlements flank the tracks, but signs of civilization are few and far between, especially during winter when much of Mongolia is draped in snow.
“The Trans-Mongolian Railway was a great ride and a total contrast to the preceding days of Siberian birch trees and small villages with muddy streets and wooden houses,” says British rail travel expert Mark Smith, founder of The Man in Seat 61 website, of his experiences riding through the country while journeying from Moscow to Beijing on the broader Trans-Siberian rail journey before the pandemic closed global borders.
“Mongolia offered wide-open grassland, camels and frequent ‘yurt alerts’ as nomadic settlements hove into view.”
Which makes it all the more surprising when high-rise buildings appear in the distance and the train rolls into Ulaanbaatar. With more than 1.6 million residents, the booming national capital is home to more than half of Mongolia’s entire population and, when the full Moscow-Beijing Trans-Siberian line was up and running, a great place to break the journey for a couple of days.
Travelers in the Mongolian capital not planning to board a train should even consider visiting the station, which opened in 1949. With elaborate chandeliers dangling above the waiting room and a vintage steam locomotive and coal car permanently parked beside the platform, venturing into Ulaanbaatar’s stocky Soviet-era train station is an instant flashback.
How to ride the Trans-Mongolian
In years past, the vast majority of international passengers, like Smith, experienced the Trans-Mongolian Railway as the central portion of an epic train journey between Moscow and Beijing. However, that route was suspended in 2020 during the Covid pandemic and remains a no-go for most travelers for the foreseeable future.
“It’s a shame because it was one of the great overland trips,” says Christian Stanley, director of the Trans-Siberian Travel Company in London. “There are still a lot of people who have this trip on their bucket list.”
Stanley says for travelers from countries not participating in sanctions against Russia over the war with Ukraine, it’s still possible to undertake a Moscow-Beijing rail journey via Mongolia. Just not on the same train or booking.
No such hassles or sanctions if you’re only riding the rails in Mongolia.
The regular service between Ulaanbaatar and the twin towns of Zamiin-Uud/Erenhot on the Mongolia-China border is definitely worth experiencing, a journey that takes the better part of a day (or night) to cross the steppes and Gobi Desert. Tickets can be purchased at the main train station in Ulaanbaatar.
The Trans-Mongolian went through a period of modernization in recent decades, with some of its Soviet-made diesel locomotives replaced with American models. The carriages feature second-class hard-sleeper (four-person) and first-class deluxe soft sleeper (two-person) compartments with lockable doors, small tables, power outlets and air conditioning/heating. Sheets, pillows and duvets are provided. Hard sleepers share a single Western-style toilet in each carriage, while each pair of soft sleepers share an ensuite bathroom.
“I shared a four-berth cabin with just a young Mongolian mother and her daughter,” says Laura Jopson, a New Zealander who writes about her globetrotting adventures in the Laura the Explorer blog.
“The room was comfortable, warm and quiet. Each evening, the attendants would convert the seating into bunks. Luggage was stored beneath the lower bunk, so it was hard to access during the journey – a small daypack is definitely recommended for things you’ll need whilst on the train. Each carriage had a samovar for making hot drinks and instant meals.”
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The trains also boast dining cars with menus that feature local specialties and a few international dishes.
“The Mongolian dining car contrasted with its Russian counterpart (and with the Chinese restaurant car, for that matter),” says Smith of his onboard dining experience while passing through Mongolia. “Good and filling, but you’d better like mutton and rice!”
Passengers can supplement dining car cuisine by stocking up on snacks and drinks in Ulaanbaatar – there’s a small convenience store inside the main station – or dashing onto the platforms at whistlestops along the route.
“I decided to eat in the Mongolian restaurant carriage mainly for the decor!” says Jobson.