Kenya Railways imports special SGR engines

Some of the special locomotives to be used in the laying of the standard gauge railway track leaving Mombasa port for Mtito Andei. The locomotives will be used to lay the SGR line from Mtito Andei to Mombasa and Emali to Nairobi. [PHOTO: GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD]

MOMBASA: Special locomotive engines to be used for laying the standard gauge railway (SGR) track have already been offloaded from Mombasa port.

Kenya Railways Managing Director Athanas Maina told The Standard yesterday that the locomotives are being transported by heavy duty trailers to Mtito Andei and Emali from where the laying of the rail track will start.

The Chinese contractor, China Road & Bridges Corporation (CRBC), announced that laying of the track between Nairobi and Mombasa will begin in two places in November. Officials say the exercise will start from Mtito Andei's Kathekani area towards Mombasa while the other works towards Nairobi will start from Emali.

The MD said that all, save for only five per cent of land on the entire rail track corridor from Mombasa to Nairobi, has been procured.

On the issue of land around the Nairobi National Park, where the SGR will pass through, Mr Maina said a joint team from Kenya Railways and the Kenya Wildlife Service has started reviewing various aspects of conservation on the project.

"We have reached good consensus with the KWS Trustee Board on the need to ensure park boundaries are not altered," he said.

Maina said a special rail corridor will have a 700-metre long viaduct to ensure passage of animals.