Kenya’s new standard
gauge railway (SGR) line
is expected to be officially
opened by December this
year although no official
date has yet been confirmed.
It’s been a massive
undertaking requiring
cooperation from several
East African countries, says
Patrick Nyoike, general
manager of finance at the
Kenya Ports Authority, but
he believes the project will
bring more competitive
pricing as well as real
efficiency in the movement
of cargo to and from the Port
of Mombasa.
The railway line, which
will connect Kenya,
Uganda, Rwanda and South
Sudan, is one of the biggest
infrastructure projects
undertaken in recent years
and will comprise 490km of
standard gauge rail line from
Mombasa to Nairobi alone.
“It will run cargo trains
at speeds of 80km/hour and
be able to handle around
1100 TEUs per day. Wagon
carrying capacity is two high
stacking on the line,” said
Nyoike.
The second and third
phases of the project will
connect the line to Uganda
and then Rwanda and
further afield.
Nyoike said the Nairobi
inland container depot had
also been forced to up its
capacity from 180 000 TEUs
to 450 000 TEUs as a result
of the project.
An inaugural test run
using a passenger train was
successfully carried out in
March this year. The new
railway line is considered to
be a catalyst for economic
growth in East Africa.
