Mongolia yesterday began its $1.3bn project to build a metro in Ulaanbaatar by launching a tender for consulting services, United News of India reports.

The tender closes on 18 March. The city expects to spend around $54m on consulting services throughout the project.

The metro will be a single 18km line, 7km of which will be underground. The contract covers “consulting services”, including the development of the project’s terms of reference and technical specifications.

The line will run east to west from Sonsgolon Intersection to Amgalan Market and include 14 stations spaced about 1.3km apart. The line will operate at average speed of 39km/h, with capacity for up to 17,000 passengers an hour.

Construction is expected to begin in May and be complete in 2027, according to Borkhuu Delgersaikhan, a member of the Mongolian cabinet.

The metro is considered essential to easing traffic in the city. Ulaanbaatar is thought to have capacity for 500,000 people, but is presently home to half of Mongolia’s 3.5 million people.

Khishgeegiin Nyambaatar, the mayor of Ulaanbaatar, commented: “The construction of Ulaanbaatar’s subway system will deliver significant benefits for local citizens and support the long-term, sustainable growth of our city, creating more opportunities for those living and working here.”

The project has been on the drawing board since 2012, when it was approved by the Mongolian government. It was to have been financed by loans from Japan among others, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency conducted a feasibility study in 2013.

In the event, the project was put on ice in 2015. In 2018, planning was resumed, at which time the cost was expected to be around $1.5bn.