How a cup of tea led to the UK heading up the first metro system in Mongolia

Here are a few fun facts you might not know about Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.

It’s the coldest capital city on the planet, with an average temperature barely above freezing point. Its Mongolian name translates to ‘Red Hero’. And nobody has ever managed to build a metro system there.

That’s not for lack of trying. Strenuous efforts to bring light rail transit to tunnels beneath the city’s broad streets have been taking place for at least 15 years, with countries from South Korea to France offering help to no avail.

Now, salvation appears to have come in an unlikely form: an air-conditioned rail line 4,300 miles away, taking passengers from Reading in the west to Shenfield in the east, with tasteful purple branding.

Yep, you read that right – our very own Elizabeth Line is soon