Mombassa - Nairobi new line

Reported in various sources.

This from Railways Africa (3 November 2016):
Sorry, no direct link, due to the convoluted means of cutting, pasting, re-cutting and re-pasting in order to get a hard copy!
Website is: http://www.railwaysafrica.com/

Phase 2A of the country’s SGR project spans 120km and stretches from Nairobi to Naivasha. This section incorporates construction of four tunnels covering 7,756km; 9 bridges covering 24km along the project’s corridor; and development of subgrade covering 88km. During the ceremony marking the launch of Phase 2A, President Kenyatta excavated a section of the tunnel in Ngong’ area that will be drilled during construction of the line. The project will cost approximately $150 billion, which will be loaned to the Government by the Export-Import Bank of China.

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The first phase of the new line runs from Mombassa to Nairobi (427km) and is nearing completion. Phase 2 extends this towards Malaba. Ultimate aim is into Uganda and beyond.

From the same Railways Africa source 10/6/16:

President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya has attended a site visit on the Mombasa-Nairobi section of the standard gauge railway (SGR) project currently underway in the region. He was accompanied by Internal Security Cabinet Secretary, Joseph Nkaissery, Industrialisation CS, Adan Mohammed, Finance CS, Henry Rotich, Mining CS, Dan Kazungu and Attorney General, Githu Muigai.

Kenya Railways managing director Atanas Maina announced that the project, being implemented by China Road and Bridge Corporation, is 82% complete and that work on the project is running ahead of schedule. The first phase of the project, comprising 427 kilometres of track, is due for completion in July 2017, and will cost the country Sh153 billion. The construction of the railway line forms a part of a mega infrastructure development plan, called Vision 2030, being implemented by the Kenyan government in partnership with the People’s Republic of China. The Kenyan government has ordered 52 trains to run on the new track, which will be operated by China Communications Construction Company for five years as per the contractual agreement entered into by the two parties

(article continues)

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Kenya has opened a major new railway between the port city of Mombasa and the capital, Nairobi, 18 months early.

470km (290 miles), £2.5bn, built using Chinese funding and track-laying technology.

President Uhuru Kenyatta warned that he would authorise the execution of vandals after four people were arrested damaging sections of a guardrail.

More from the BBC: stunning photos of new stations http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40099643

I assume the line to Uganda would be more challenging? Back in colonial days ist was certainly more difficult to build.

A free article (PDF) about the Kenyan standard gauge railway project from the June 2016 issue of Railway Gazette International can be downloaded via this link.

China maintains it for 5 years and what happens than is not really known.

There is an extensive SkyscraperCity thread on the new line.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=954002

Enjoy all 297 pages of it! There is some good info on there, lots of pictures from someone clearly on the inside, and line diagrams. Plus lots of wibble.

The next phase of the line, towards Uganda (phase 2A), appears to be rapidly progressing. Reference is made to further lines in the BBC article.

Adlington - thank you for the link to the pdf.

duesselmartin said:

I assume the line to Uganda would be more challenging? Back in colonial days ist was certainly more difficult to build.

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From Christian Wolmar's Blood, Iron and Gold:

32,000 men [were] brought from the Indian subcontinent after the work started in 1896. Many died, such as twenty-eight killed by a pair of fearless maneless lions at Christmas 1898 [...]2,498 workers died during the construction.

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Although I was referring to geographical challenges

Coverage here on the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40171095

I wonder who talked the Kenyans into this, a line which just duplicates the established rail line, to an incompatible gauge with the rest of the country.

The article says " it runs parallel to the now-dilapidated metre gauge railway line from the colonial era". How did that happen? Until about 1970 the existing line was one of the most efficient business organisations in Kenya, well maintained. Enthusiasts recall the large Beyer-Garrett steam locos, but the main line was mainly dieselised in the 1950s-60s with locos from English Electric. Perceived as "colonial", but the bulk of the managers and technical staff were Indian. Track maintenance and punctuality were both high. If the Kenyans have just "let it go", isn't the same likely to happen to the new line.

The new line runs from the coastal port at Mombasa to capital Nairobi, and will extend to the Ugandan capital Kampala. That's exactly what the old main line used to do.

A comparable and parallel line was built to the south in the 1970s, also by the Chinese, the Tan-Zam Railway, from the coast across Tanzania and into Zambia. To the same gauge as Zambia (3'6") but different to Tanzania/Kenya/Uganda, which is Metre. This is down to two services a week, apparently, and most of the rolling stock is derelict now. These just seem to be foreign aid projects to sell the products of the sponsoring country, giving little or no benefit to the receiving country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TAZARA_Railway#Passenger_service

The railways are really only suited to handling bulk mineral cargoes. Mainstream imported containers, foodstuffs and manufactured products imported through the coastal port are subject to such widespread delay, damage, excessive bureaucracy and pilfering both at dockside and during the rail transit that most such items in East Africa are airfreighted directly from developed countries to destination, or are trucked by road (with accompanying driver and guard at all times).

The old line is concessioned to Rift Valley Railways, who promised massive investment in refurbishment which didn't happen on the ground. More recently they received funding for 'new' locomotives which turned out to be second hand and receiving only minor refurbishment before delivery.

Poor, slow, unreliable services is what you tend to read / hear about, rather than solutions to the logistical problems facing a large chunk of East Africa.

Reading the consultants reports into the various transport corridors is depressing stuff. One thing which concerned me was the reports of large lorry parks at either side of the border crossings full of petrol tankers. Yet there are bright spots such as automated, on the move, lorry weighing along the corridor. Plus the remote tracking of road vehicles in control rooms to highlight side turns (pilfering or hijackings). The mis-match of old run down infrastructure alongside the latest technology is striking. Like wearing threadbare clothes whilst sporting the latest smartphone.

A shiny new line has publicity benefits, and political benefits. As the Tazara Railway had when first built. History would suggest a period of good operation followed by a slow decline as revenue fails to meet forecasts.

It is certainly built on a grand scale. The new passenger stations seem a little excessive for the amount of traffic on offer. Style over substance. Making a statement. The same could be said of the Tazara stations, now little used.

Looking at the BBC link, that viaduct could do with some guardrails! I suppose it may deter trespass if you have nothing to cling to whilst a train passes.

I wish it well and look forward to being proved totally wrong in 25 years time!

Taunton said:

... the main line was mainly dieselised in the 1950s-60s with locos from English Electric.

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Something like these?
Photo Copyright: Trevor Heath, located on East African railways and Harbours website by Malcolm McCrow
http://www.mccrow.org.uk/eastafrica/eastafricanrailways/KRDiesels.htm

I've found a nice .gif of the east African proposals, copyright CPCS, via Skyscrapercity. Boy do they like to moan about things over there!View media item 2944

The new line is part of a massive investment programme in the region. Having travelled and worked extensively in this region I can assure you that this is not just a folly. Moving goods across this region - particularly from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and eastern DRC is massively expensive. Bribes, security, insurance are all expensive. You are very wrong to say 'most things are airfreighted'. Very few commodities are imported via air freight. It's incredibly expensive. The new Mombasa road has helped reduce the hijackings, though the road to Uganda is still treacherous.

The old line was slow and prone to derailments. A journey could take days. The new passenger service - cheaper than the bus and plane - takes around 4 hours.

There are three (sometimes more) large container trains leaving Kampala for Mombasa daily. Others start in Jinja. The train is secure and cheaper than the road because of the reduced need for security convoys. This is projected to increase with the new standard gauge line.

Whatever the economics and politics, getting some of the hazardous freight off the roads will be an enormous public benefit. It's 10 years since I was in Uganda but the memory is vivid.

atillathehunn said:

The new line is part of a massive investment programme in the region. Having travelled and worked extensively in this region I can assure you that this is not just a folly. Moving goods across this region - particularly from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and eastern DRC is massively expensive. Bribes, security, insurance are all expensive. You are very wrong to say 'most things are airfreighted'. Very few commodities are imported via air freight. It's incredibly expensive. The new Mombasa road has helped reduce the hijackings, though the road to Uganda is still treacherous.

The old line was slow and prone to derailments. A journey could take days. The new passenger service - cheaper than the bus and plane - takes around 4 hours.

There are three (sometimes more) large container trains leaving Kampala for Mombasa daily. Others start in Jinja. The train is secure and cheaper than the road because of the reduced need for security convoys. This is projected to increase with the new standard gauge line.

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Interesting information on the number of container trains currently using the old narrow-gauge line. Information is scant. Presumably other goods remain transported within Kenya and through to Uganda as well? Magadi Soda continues to run within Kenya on the old line.

One of the reports I read related to theft of items from container trains and Rift Valley Railways (now gone from the scene) measures to prevent this. I suspect there is a lot to be learnt from the management and decline of the 'old' railway in recent decades. I was interested to read of the investments made in the central workshops near Kampala and their awards won as recently as 2001.

I took a lot of pictures during my time in Kenya and Uganda mucking around with the railways there. I crossed the railway a few times a day on my commute, and my friend's cafe in Kampala overlooks the marshalling yard, so I had a pretty good view. Trains appeared well loaded. The evening departure from Kampala was usually v well loaded, chasing the passenger train to Namanve. Normally double headed with two big EMDs (possible - unclear). The passenger locos were Henkels. The entire system is ERTMS controlled from Nairobi, all the way Mombasa to Kampala.

Goods move via road and train throughout the region. I'm up on Kenya's border with Somalia at the moment and there are lorries with Somali, Ethiopian, Uganda, South Sudanese license plates.
The theft from the container trains has been managed, though does still exist. However, theft from vehicles and lorries is rife. Our containers travel in a rolling armed convoy, no stopping for punctures etc. The cost is extortionate.

I remember doing the old narrow gauge Nairobi - Mombasa line as part of a holiday to Kenya in 1990.

Our Kenyan tour guide totally messed up the tickets leaving us with 3 tickets for the 1700 night train instead of 5 tickets for the 1900. We didn't realize this and waited for the 1900 by which time our guide had left. Panic then ensued when we weren't allowed on and thought we'd be stranded in Nairobi overnight. A solution was eventually found and we were allowed on the train.

For those interested, I have come across this excellent website. A zoomable map of world railways. The Mombasa - Nairobi SGR is shown so it is up-to-date.

http://www.openrailwaymap.org/

I was lucky enough to visit Kenya in March this year and much of the NG infrastructure seems to be in place still. The old station in Mombasa looked to have a lot of freight stock and the old line out of town and to the docks looked to be just awaiting a train. The NG/SG routes parallel the main road to Nairobi so can be frequently viewed. At one point I was convinced I spotted some moving wagons through the bushes but that may be wishful thinking. The NG tracks all seemed quite bright and our driver thought it was still in use 'sometimes'. Even with limited Kenyan rain I would have expected the rails to be rusty but the attached picture gives every indication of an in use line. Its running parallel to the SG one near Tsavo Park and I was also told the SG is on an embankment so that wildlife can pass under using bridges like the one in the background. The new SG stations are impressive but I couldn't help thinking they are overkill, compared to the simple wood hut and nameboard that still exist by many of the old NG stations, some of which appeared fully signalled still as with photo showing SG line behind.
After Voi we headed off down the A23 towards the Tanzanian border and I was surprised to see how complete the old branch seemed. Tracks were rusty after so many years of disuse but again, much infrastructure remained, even signalling at some stations. The route did however end abruptly !

Graham H said:

I was luck enough to visit Kenya in March this year and much of the NG infrastructure seems to be in place still. The old station in Mombassa looked to have a lot of freight stock and the old line out of town and to the docks looked to be just awaiting a train. The NG/SG routes parallel the main road to Nairobi so can be frequently viewed. At one point I was convinced I spotted some moving wagons through the bushes but that may be wishful thinking. The NG tracks all seemed quite bright and our driver thought it was still in use 'sometimes'. Even with limited Kenyan rain I would have expected the rails to be rusty but the attached picture gives every indication of an in use line. Its running parallel to the SG one near Tsavo Park and I was also told the SG is on an embankment so that wildlife can pass under using bridges like the one in the background. The new SG stations are impressive but I couldn't help thinking they are overkill, compared to the simple wood hut and nameboard that still exist by many of the old NG stations, some of which appeared fully signalled still as with photo showing SG line behind.
After Voi we headed off down the A23 towards the Tanzanian border and I was surprised to see how complete the old branch seemed. Tracks were rusty after so many years of disuse but again, much infrastructure remained, even signalling at some stations. The route did however end abruptly !

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As far as I can tell, the old NG main-line route is still in use throughout for freight - all the way through to Uganda. Various aerial pictures of the SG line, generally around Nairobi Terminus, show NG freights in the background - different ones in different pictures taken at different times. Also Magadi Soda have their own branch line which links to the NG line and they run what we would call 'open access' to the port at Mombassa with their own locos.

There is also a loco-hauled commuter service operating on four routes radiating from Nairobi (old station).

I would agree that the SG stations are impressive for what is intended as a freight railway with token passenger services. Rather similar to those built for the TAZARA railway in the 1970's. A similar approach has been taken on the new SG line in Ethiopia / Djibouti. Both built to Chinese standards by Chinese contractors. In contrast, the stations on the new SG line in Tanzania (west out of Dar es Salaam) are much more modest / functional affairs - these built by a Turkish contractor.

The success of what we in the UK would consider to be a rather limited passenger service (two trains per day) I think took them completely by surprise. It is however much quicker (5 to 6 hours daytime now compared to 18 hours overnight previously), more frequent (two per day now compared to 2 per week) and rather more reliable and safer, with modern Chinese standard rolling stock.

More detail is in this general thread:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/new-rail-lines-in-africa-was-ethiopia-djibouti-new-line.138038/