First batch of locomotives for Standard Gauge Railway expected from January

Managing Director Kenya Railways Atanas Maina briefs the media on the second phase 2A Nairobi to Naivasha Railway that is expected to begin in january .The phase had attracted controversy as it was cutting through the National Park.He is flanked by Technical Advisor Standard Gauge Railway development in Kenya Engineer Solomon Ouna (right) and SGR Project coordinator engineer James Karanja (left) on 2nd November 2016. PHOTO by DAVID GICHURU

The Government expects to receive the first batch of locomotives that will be used on Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from January.

Atanas Maina, the Kenya Railways Managing Director said works on the 472-kilometre stretch that cost Sh327 billion in addition to Sh15 billion on land acquisitions, is on its homestretch.

While giving an update on the project, Maina said civil works are 98 per cent complete and that locomotives will start arriving in the country early next year. “We expect to start receiving locomotives by January. There is a team in China inspecting the final assembly and packaging so that shipment can begin,” he said.

According to the plan presented by Eng Solomon Ouna who is the SGR advisor, they are expecting five passenger trains and 40 coaches as well as 43 freight trains served by 1,620 wagons.

Communication works and signaling system as well as electricity connection is complete. Maina is upbeat that testing should begin in February as his team readies to hand over the project to the Government in June.

In addition, modernisation and expansion of the inland container depot to allow it to handle in excess of 400,000 containers per year is ongoing. It is also expected to be completed before June. Currently, 400 technicians are being trained to help run the project. The Government has already handed China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) the role of initial operations and maintenance.

“We already have a transaction advisor who is assisting Kenya Railways and the Government to negotiate with CRBC on the best mode of operations including the parameters we need to measure and the management fee to be paid,” Mr Maina said.

From June next year, Kenya Railways plans to begin trial operations to ensure that the system is working properly and that the recruited staff understand the system properly. With this, commercial operations are set for 2018.

Meanwhile, work on the second phase 2A of the 120-kilometre line that will connect Nairobi to Naivasha will begin in January. This will cost Sh153 billion ($1.5 billion).

Mr Maina said that unlike in the first phase where Exim Bank of China funded 90 per cent of the project, the second phase will be financed up to 85 per cent.

Land compensation

The remaining 15 per cent, which is equivalent to about Sh23 billion will be financed by Kenyan government. However, the cost will increase due to land compensation costs. The Government expects to spend in excess of Sh30 billion for land compensation.

“So far, we have paid around Sh14 billion. The balance that has not been paid relates to certain disputes with regards to the affected persons and ownership of land,” he said. He anticipates the figure to increase by at least 10 per cent due to speculations, revaluation of land as well as relocation of power lines, schools and pipelines.

The phase ran into a stormy debate that saw environmentalists oppose the State’s plan to pass the railway through Nairobi National Park.

According to Mr Maina, the team has had over 12 meetings with the concerned groups and believes that the debate is settled. This week, National Environmental Management Authority will be taking concerns of the public on the same.