Mongolia's transportation network is developing in a centralized manner. In a centralized form of transportation network, one hub’s development is dependent on the other hub. This condition is evident in Mongolia. Majority of the population is concentrated in Ulaanbaatar, creating an unbalanced or centralized system, and impelling the rural to urban migration (Bazargur et al. 2017). The Government of Mongolia is implementing a policy toward decentralization and development of rural areas. It is important to develop local infrastructure (Altanbagana et al. 2016b), especially the transportation network, in order to reduce population migration. Furthermore, the construction and planning of the development of transportation infrastructure is an important factor in the spatial planning of population localization and settlement development(Altanbagana et al. 2016a). Therefore, the government of Mongolia has focused on the development of transportation infrastructure, including the development of vertical and horizontal axes of transport, the integration of the transportation network of neighboring countries and regional economic integration in recent years(Resolution No. 52 of the Parliament 2020).
The type of spatial development of the transportation network directly depends on the country's socio-economic conditions, geographical location, and shape of the land. For Mongolia, many domestic scientists have determined that axis-based development is the most effective way(Nikolsky 2009), (Bazargur et al. 2000), (Altanbagana and Institute of Geography and geoecology 2022), (Resolution No. 57 of the Parliament 2001). The researchers of the Institute of Geography (former name) of the Academy of Sciences put forward the "Concept of the development of the social economy of Mongolia along the axes" and considered it to be a "basic" indicator for the development of the strategic planning of the country's social and economic development. Proper placement and planning of the axis have the advantages of creating and increasing the number of main pillar cities for settlement, proper placement of the labor force, regulating the flow of migration, developing freight turnover, information exchange and communication(Litvinov and Kutyavin 2009).
1 horizontal and 5 vertical axes were approved in the Concept of regional development of Mongolia (Resolution No. 57 of the Parliament 2001) by the Parlament of Mongolian in 2001. When planning the axes, the main principles were taken into account: the location and development of central settlements, the preservation of the space for migration and settlement civilizations, and the provision of proper integration, and the optimal connection to international and intercontinental networks. However, only one central axis, Altanbulag – Ulaanbaatar – Zamyn-Uud, has been developed, the other axes have not been developed yet. The concept expires in 2021. Therefore, there is a need to redefine the axes for the revision of the Concept of regional development of Mongolia.
There have been new developments in the transportation corridors in Mongolia following the widening of regional cooperation and the geopolitics(Okunev 2022), (Rinchinbazar and Erdenebayar 2019). Corridors to be newly planned are not only coordinated with the internal conditions of the country, but also need to be planned in coordination with regional economic integration, trade, transit transportation and the main trunk lines and infrastructure of the transportation infrastructure of neighboring countries. In landlocked countries including Mongolia, it is important to develop land transportation infrastructure (Bennett 2016). For example, China aims to use the resources and geographical advantages of the central and western provinces, open opportunities for cooperation with neighboring countries and the European Union, and create cross-Euro-Asia links(Karaganov et al. 2016), (Toops 2016). For Mongolia, this condition can be taken into account when planning transportation, and thus contribute to solving regional transportation problems.
It is important to define transportation infrastructure axes and corridors using specific criteria. A number of research works have been carried out in the field of evaluation of transportation corridors using various methods and criteria (Regmi and Hanaoka 2012), (Banomyong and Beresford 2001), (Asian Development Bank 2010), (Banomyong 2008). For example, researchers M.B.Regmi and S.Hanaoka, when evaluating the operational performance of transportation corridors, took into account physical infrastructure such as ports, maritime transport, railways, roads, border port facilities, transfer points, as well as parameters such as border ports and customs clearance(Regmi and Hanaoka 2012). Banomyong and Beresford (Banomyong and Beresford 2001) used time-cost-distance criteria for transportation corridors, Asia-Pacific Economic and Social Commission (APESC) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) transportation performance evaluation(Asian Development Bank 2010), (Banomyong 2008), (United Nations 2006). In other studies related to corridor evaluation, in addition to cost and time, solar reliability, flexibility, solar infrastructure, and service perspectives were considered(Arnold et al. 2005), (Raballand et al. 2008). E. Vinokurov and T. Tsukarev (Vinokurov and Tsukarev 2018), while evaluating the corridors being developed between China and the European Union, considered the criteria of delivery cost, delivery speed, and terms of future goods, and identified high-potential transportation routes.
In the evaluations of the above transportation corridors, economic efficiency parameters such as time, cost, distance, reliability, flexibility, infrastructure, and services were mainly considered, but the optimal spatial location was not taken into account.
As for Mongolia, since 1990, the problem of determining the spatially optimal location of the transportation network based on the axial concept has been studied. For example, researchers such as Dr. D. Bazargur considered that the basic conditions of the axis are railways and national highways. When putting forward the option of the axis, the first attempt was made to find out the optimal location of the axes by comparing them using the mapping method with socio-economic factors such as road traffic, population density, basic conditions of the axis, and infrastructure provision(Bazargur et al. 2000). When the Dr. N. Togtokh and others put forward the axis scenario, they consider the location of the population, the location of urban areas, economic conditions, characteristics of migratory civilizations, distances to travel, natural obstacles, the possibility of connecting to international and intercontinental infrastructure networks, open and transit conditions, conditions such as access to foreign seas have been taken into account.
The Department of National Development of Mongolia defined 6 vertical corridors and 1 horizontal corridor as part of the new Regional Development Policy (National Development Agency 2019). When determining the corridor, the current state of roads and railways, the previously proposed axis option, the population density of domestic and neighboring countries, the location of strategic deposits, industrial development zones, energy networks, and planning for the development of transportation infrastructure in neighboring countries were taken into account. As part of the development of the "Comprehensive Development Plan of Mongolia" (Japan International Cooperation Agency and The Ministry of Construction and Urban 2019), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) evaluated the corridors and determined 7 vertical corridors. In the assessment of the corridor, criteria such as the number of soums, the number of people living within a 20 km radius, the number of people per 1 km2 area, travel time, traffic congestion, the amount of goods exported, earthquakes, geological formations, and the possibility of connecting with neighboring countries were taken into account. When the previous researchers put forward the alternative of axis location, they determined the main principles and indicators, taking into account the socio-economic development of Mongolia, the shape and shape of the territory, and compared them by mapping(Resolution No. 57 of the Parliament 2001), (Bazargur et al. 2000). Recently, however, attempts have been made to evaluate and define axes based on specific criteria (National Development Agency 2019), (Japan International Cooperation Agency and The Ministry of Construction and Urban 2019). However, the definition of the axis is mainly based on geographical location and domestic conditions, which is flawed. Therefore, in this research, we use a relatively innovative methodology, taking into account regional and neighboring countries' transportation networks, economic zones, administrative territorial units, and their central cities, as well as Mongolia's industrial, urban, energy network, and transportation conditions. An attempt was made to assess these factors in a spatially comprehensive manner and to identify axes.
In this study, the concept of transport infrastructure axis is defined as follows. Transport infrastructure axis is an economic-infrastructural linear zone that supports the optimal structure of population localization and settlement space, which increases trade, passenger, freight circulation, information flow and exchange by connecting the main regions of social and economic development and supporting cities (state and local level) with the main axis of neighboring countries(Altanbagana and Institute of Geography and geoecology 2022). The purpose of this study is to determine the vertical and horizontal axes that are located optimally at the regional level, have good geographical conditions for roads, connect major economic regions and centers where goods, industry and population are concentrated, and have a transportation and logistics networks using the potential assessment.
Overview of the study area
A literature review was conducted on the transportation axes approved by the Parliament of Mongolia and a number of other transportation axes proposed by domestic scientists and international organizations. Total of 11 vertical and 6 horizontal options of transportation axes were identified and summarized on the Table 1 Options of the vertical and horizontal axes and their codesand the Fig. 1. In this study, the potentials of these vertical and horizontal transportation axes were evaluated to determine the priority transportation axes of Mongolia.
Table 1
Options of the vertical and horizontal axes and their codes
№ | Type of axis | Main axis | Identified research | Code |
1 | Vertical | Tsagaannuur – Ulgii – Khovd – Bulgan | (National Development Agency 2019), (Togtokh and Altanbagana 2007) | V1 |
2 | Vertical | Borshoo – Ulaangom – Khovd – Bulgan | (Olonbayar 1993), (Bazargur et al. 2000), (Resolution No. 57 of the Parliament 2001), (National Development Agency 2019) | V2 |
3 | Vertical | Artssuuri – Uliastai – Altai – Burgastai | (Resolution No. 57 of the Parliament 2001), (Resolution No. 9 of the Parliament 2001), (National Development Agency 2019), (Japan International Cooperation Agency and The Ministry of Construction and Urban 2019) | V3 |
4 | Vertical | Khankh – Murun – Uliastia – Altai – Burgastai | (National Development Agency 2019) | V4 |
5 | Vertical | Khankh – Murun – Kharkhorin – Arvaikheer – Shiveekhuren | (JICA and The Ministry of Construction and Urban 2019; Resolution No. 9 of the Parliament 2001) | V5 |
6 | Vertical | Baga-Ilenkh – Bulgan – Arvaikheer – Shiveekhuren | (National Development Agency 2019), (Olonbayar 1993) | V6 |
7 | Vertical | Altanbulag – Darkhan – Ulaanbaatar – Mandalgovi – Dalanzadgad – Gashuunsukhait | (Japan International Cooperation Agency and The Ministry of Construction and Urban 2019), (National Development Agency 2019) | V7 |
8 | Vertical | Altanbulag – Darkhan – Ulaanbaatar – Choir – Sainshand – Zamiin-Uud | (Resolution No. 57 of the Parliament 2001), (Resolution No. 9 of the Parliament 2001),(Bazargur et al. 2000), (Japan International Cooperation Agency and The Ministry of Construction and Urban 2019), (National Development Agency 2019), (Togtokh and Altanbagana 2007), | V8 |
9 | Vertical | Ereentsav – Choibalsan – Baruun-Urt – Bichigt | (National Development Agency 2019), (Japan International Cooperation Agency and The Ministry of Construction and Urban 2019), (Olonbayar 1993), (Togtokh and Altanbagana 2007), (Resolution No. 57 of the Parliament 2001), (Resolution No. 9 of the Parliament 2001) | V9 |
10 | Vertical | Ulikhan – Choibalsan – Bichigt | Route of Tourism | V10 |
11 | Vertical | Artssuuri – Uliastai – Altai - Shiveekhuren | Planned rail route | V11 |
1 | Horizontal | Khukh-Ereg – Ulgii – Khovd – Uliastai – Tsetserleg – Ulaanbaatar | (Resolution No. 57 of the Parliament 2001), (Resolution No. 9 of the Parliament 2001) | H1 |
2 | Horizontal | Tsagaannuur – Ulgii – Khovd – Altai – Bayankhongor – Arvaikheer – Ulaanbaatar | (Bazargur et al. 2000), (Japan International Cooperation Agency and The Ministry of Construction and Urban 2019) | H2 |
3 | Horizontal | Borshoo – Ulaangom – Uliastai – Tsetserleg – Ulaanbaatar | Existing paved road | H3 |
4 | Horizontal | Sumber – Choibalsan – Chinggis – Ulaanbaatar | (National Development Agency 2019), (Resolution No. 57 of the Parliament 2001), (Resolution No. 9 of the Parliament 2001) | H4 |
5 | Horizontal | Bichigt – Baruun-Urt – Chinggis – Ulaanbaatar | (Japan International Cooperation Agency and The Ministry of Construction and Urban 2019) | H5 |
6 | Horizontal | Tsagaannuur – Ulgii – Khovd – Altai – Bayankhongor – Arvaikheer – Mandalgovi – Sainshand – Baruun-Urt – Choibalsan – Ereentsav | (Bazargur et al. 2000) | H6 |