Kenya Railways receives more SGR locomotives ahead of June launch

One of the Standard Guage Railway (SGR) line passenger wagon being off-loaded from the MV Chipol Taihu soon after the ship docked at the port of Mombasa from China, March 18, 2017. The wagons have been imported by the China and Bridges corporation, the engineering and construction firm building the SGR from Mombasa to Nairobi. This is part of the one hundred and fifty passenger wagons which arrived at the port of Mombasa and will be taken to Nairobi. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD]. 22/50

Kenya Railways received additional locomotives and other accompanying equipment for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) ahead of its launch next month.

The latest delivery comprised 17 freight locomotives, six shunting locomotives, 50 flat wagons for containers and four unit cranes.

The consignment was offloaded under the supervision of Transport Principal Secretary Paul Maringa, Kenya Railways engineers, project contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation, and the project supervisor TSDI-APEC-EDON Consortium.

So far, the country has received 25 freight locomotives out of the 43 on order, five passenger and eight shunting locomotives, 40 passenger coaches as well as 763 wagons out of the 1,620 on order.

Speaking on site at the Mombasa Port, Mr Maringa said the Government was keen on optimising the SGR for freight transport both locally and regionally.

“The SGR is the backbone of Kenya’s multi-modal infrastructure development and thus it will play a key role is spurring economic growth.

It is expected that freight uptake via SGR will considerably increase rail transport capacity from the port once the operations commence in December 2017 and in accordance with the commitment made in the Mombasa Port Community Charter signed in June 2014,” he explained.