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Rail transport in Kenya

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Metre Gauge Railway lines in Kenya
Malaba
Kimaeti
Myanga
Mateka
Bungoma Bungoma Airport
Mulukbu
Myanga
Webuye Webuye Airport
Lugari
Kipkarren
Turbo
Leseru
Kitale Kitale Airport
Butere
Moi's Bridge
Namasoli
Springfield Halt
Yala
Soy
Luanda
Maseno
Eldoret Eldoret International Airport
Lela
Sosian
Kisian
Plateau
Lake Victoria ferries Kisumu Airport Kisumu
Cheploske
Kibos
Kaptagat
Miwani
Kipkabus
Kibigori
Tumeivo
Chemelil
Ainakboi
Muhoroni
Timboroa
Koru
Fort Ternan
Equator
Kipkelion
Makutano
Lumbwa
Maji Mazuri
Kedowa
Sabatia
Londiani
Esageri
Mau Summit
Visoi
Molo
Rongai
Turi
Elburgon
Menengai Barclays Airport
Njoro
Olabanaita
Nakuru
Kampi ya Moto
Nakuru Airport Lanet
Solai
Mbaruk
Nyahururu
Kariandusi
Ol Kalou
Gilgil
Oleolondo
Nanyuki Nanyuki Airport
Naro Moru
Ilkek
Nyeri Nyeri Airport
Morendat
Karatina
Naivasha Airport Naivasha
Makaungu
Munyu
Sagana
Suswa
Murang'a
Longonot
Maragua
Kijabe
Saba Saba
Matathia
Makuyu
Uplands
Santamor
Limuru
Mitubiri
Maguga
Thika
Kikuyu
Komo
Dagoretti
Kalimoni
Kibera
Ruiru
Wilson Airport (Kenya) Nairobi
Kahawa
Makongeni
Githurai
Makadara
Dandora
Magadi Airport Magadi
Embakasi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Koora
Marimbeti
Singiraini
Athi River
Elangata Wuas
Lukenya
Kenya Marble Quarry
Stony Athi
Kajiado
Kapiti Plains Estate
Konza
Ulu
Kiu
Kalembwani
Kima
Sultan Hamud
Nzai
Emali
Kabati
Simba
Kiboko
Ikoyo
Makindu Makindu Airport
Mbuinzau
Kibwezi
Kikumbulyu
Masongaleni
Ngwata
Darajani
Kathekani
Mtito Andei Mtito Andei Airport
Taveta
Kanga
Zirwani
Kenani
Murka
Kyulu
Maktau
Tsavo
Mashoti
Manyani
Bura
Ndi
Mwatate
Irima
Voi Junction
Voi Voi Airport
Ndara
Maungu
Wangala
Buchuma
Mwanatibu
Mackinnon Road Mackinnon Road Airport
Taru
Samburu Samburu Airport
Maji ya Chumvi
Mariakani
Mazeras
Mazeras Spiral
Miritini
Chaani Oil Refinery
Changamwe
Kilindini Harbour Kilindini Harbour
Likoni Ferry Likoni
Mombasa Moi International Airport

Rail transport in Kenya consists of a metre-gauge network and a new standard-gauge railway (SGR). Both railways connect Kenya's main port city of Mombasa to the interior, running through the national capital of Nairobi. The metre-gauge network runs to the Ugandan border, and the Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, financed by a Chinese loan, reaches Suswa.

Network

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  • Narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) gauge, some lines abandoned
  • Standard gauge: 605 km 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)

Specifications

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The loading gauge for new standard gauge railways in Africa is width: 3,400 mm (11 ft 2 in) the same as the original Shinkansen in Japan; also Korea and China. Allows for 2+3 seating.
platform train gap:
platform height:
carriage floor height:

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Passenger services

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Passenger service between Mombasa and Nairobi is available on the Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway. A metre-gauge commuter train connects the new SGR Nairobi Terminus to the old station in Nairobi city center.

History

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The Uganda Railway was originally built by the British to provide Uganda with access to the sea. Construction began at Mombasa in 1896 and reached Lake Victoria in 1901. The line was in part nicknamed the Lunatic Line after Henry Labouchère, a member of the British parliament, gave a mocking reply to the current British Foreign Minister support for the project in the form of a poem:

What it will cost no words can express,
What is its object no brain can suppose,
Where it will start from no one can guess,
Where it is going to nobody knows,
What is the use of it none can conjecture,
What it will carry there’s none can define,
And in spite of George Curzon’s superior lecture,
It clearly is naught but a lunatic line.[2]

And partly because of the difficulties encountered during its construction, including man-eating lions that ate about 30 workers before they were finally hunted down and flesh eating maggots. In 1929, the Uganda Railway was merged into Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours, which was then merged into East African Railways and Harbours Corporation (EAR&H) in 1948. EAR&H operated transportation links for Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania until the East African Community was dissolved. Kenya's portion of the railway became the Kenya Railways Corporation. Over the next 30 years, Kenya's railway network deteriorated from a lack of maintenance. By 2017, only half of Kenya's metre-gauge railways remained in operation.[3]

In November 2006, the Rift Valley Railways Consortium took over the operation of railways in Kenya and Uganda under a 25-year concession.[4] However, RVR was unable to turnaround railway operations, hampered by corrupt management and aging infrastructure. In 2017, the World Bank found that a $22 million loan extended for the purchase of refurbished locomotives had been diverted into a shell company controlled by RVR executives.[5] The Uganda Railways Corporation issued a notice of default to RVR in 2016,[6] and the Kenya Railways Corporation terminated the concession in April 2017.[7]

In 2011, Kenya signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Road and Bridge Corporation to build the Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). Financing for the US$3.6 billion project was finalised in May 2014, with the Exim Bank of China extending a loan for 90% of the project cost, and the remaining 10% coming from the Kenyan government.[8] Passenger service on the SGR was inaugurated on 31 May 2017.[9] Work to extend the SGR to Suswa is complete.[10]

Map

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Cities served by rail

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See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Here comes best opportunity to rebuild rundown railway". IPP Media.
  2. ^ "Lunatic Express: The Railway That Gave Birth to Kenya". 3 December 2020.
  3. ^ Olingo, Allan (12 June 2017). "Kenya to maintain sections of metre gauge rail". The East African.
  4. ^ Pflanz, Mike (16 January 2006). "Kenya's Lunatic Express back on track to regain glory". The Telegraph.
  5. ^ "World Bank audit reveals theft of billions by top RVR managers". Daily Nation. 5 January 2017.
  6. ^ Barigaba, Julius (22 May 2017). "East Africa: Rift Valley Railways Running Out of Time to Salvage Concession". The East African (Nairobi).
  7. ^ "RVR's 25-year deal to run rail line is terminated". Business Daily. 5 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Kenya, China sign standard gauge railway agreement". Daily Nation. 11 May 2014.
  9. ^ "Kenya opens Nairobi-Mombasa Madaraka Express railway". BBC News. 31 May 2017.
  10. ^ "Kenyan President launches SGR Phase 2A construction". Railway Gazette. 20 October 2016.

Further reading

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Media related to Rail transport in Kenya at Wikimedia Commons