Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway

Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Status	Operational
Termini	Mombasa Nairobi
Operation
Opened	31 May 2017 (2017-05-31)
Character	Fully grade-separated
Technical
Line length	485 km (301 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	None
Operating speed	120 km/h (75 mph) (passenger) 80 km/h (50 mph) (freight)
Route map Mombasa Mariakani Miasenyi Voi Mtito Andei Kibwezi Emali Athi River Nairobi

The Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is a standard gauge railway that connects the port city of Mombasa to Kenya's capital city Nairobi. The railway replaces the parallel metre-gauge railway that was originally built by the British in the 19th century. Under the East African Railway Master Plan, the Mombasa–Nairobi SGR will link up with other standard gauge railways that are being built in East Africa. Construction is already under way on Phase II of the Kenya SGR, which will extend the railway to the Uganda border by 2021.^[1]

Tracklaying was completed in December 2016, and the passenger train service was inaugurated on 31 May 2017, 18 months ahead of schedule.^[2] Passenger services began commercial operation on Madaraka Day 2017, and the nonstop passenger train is named the Madaraka Express. Cargo services will begin commercial operation in January 2018.^[1] The China Communications Construction Company will be operating the railway for the first five years.^[3]

The prime contractor on the railway was the China Road and Bridge Corporation. The project is estimated to cost US$3.6 billion, with 90% supplied by a loan from the Exim Bank of China and 10% coming from the Kenyan government.^[4] 25,000 Kenyans were hired to work on the railway.^[5] The design capacity of the railway is 22 million tonnes per year.^[6]

Route

The SGR begins at Port Reitz, just west of Mombasa Island. The new line runs generally parallel to the old metre gauge railway, but it follows a straighter alignment that allows for higher speeds. Passenger trains run between Mombasa Terminus in Miritini and Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau, near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport^[7] Freight services are provided between Port Reitz and an inland container depot at Embakasi in Nairobi.^[6]

Because of terrain, large portions of the railway are built on viaducts, embankments, and cuttings. For example, the metre gauge railway tackled the hilly terrain at Mazeras by using a spiral, but the SGR passes through the region on two bridges, with the 43.5-metre-high Mazeras-2 bridge being the highest one on the Mombasa–Nairobi route. As it approaches Nairobi, the railway crosses the 2.6 km long Athi River Super Bridge, which was the sixth-longest bridge in Africa at the time of its construction. There are a total of 98 bridges between Mombasa and Nairobi.^[8]

Viaducts are also used for environmental protection. The highway and metre gauge railway pass through the transportation corridor between Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park at ground level, which carries the risk of collisions with wildlife. Part of the SGR is elevated on viaducts, allowing wildlife to pass without risk of injury. The rest is elevated on embankments, and six underpasses have been constructed to allow wildlife to cross.^[9]

Phase 2 of the SGR will extend the Mombasa–Nairobi line to Naivasha, and eventually to the Uganda border. A connecting standard gauge railway is being built in Uganda by another Chinese state-owned company, providing landlocked Uganda with high-capacity railway transport to the sea.

Passenger stations

There are nine passenger stations from Mombasa to Nairobi. Each station's architecture is inspired by local elements.^[10]

• Mombasa Terminus^[11]: Concentric circles and a central tower, representing a ripple in the ocean.
• Mariakani: Porticos are inspired by coconut trees, which are plentiful in the region.
• Miasenyi: White and brown stripes, inspired by the stripes of a zebra.
• Voi: V-shaped like a person with raised hands, representing the spirit of harambee. V is also the first letter of Voi.
• Mtito Andei: Sloping roofs, representing Mount Kilimanjaro and the Chyulu Hills.
• Kibwezi: Based on traditional African architecture, with leaves that shade passengers from the sun.
• Emali: A closed fist, representing unity.
• Athi River: Shaped like the region's hills.
• Nairobi Terminus^[12]: Two trains with a bridge on top.

Passengers can transfer at Nairobi Terminus to metre-gauge trains into Nairobi city centre.^[7] The terminals were originally designated Mombasa West Station and Nairobi South Station.^[10] When Phase II of the SGR has been completed, trains will continue through Nairobi Terminus towards the Uganda border.

History

In the 2000s, Kenya's colonial-era metre gauge railways deteriorated due to lack of maintenance. By 2016, passenger trains were taking 24 hours to travel from Nairobi to Mombasa, a far cry from the 12 hour timetable of the early 1990s.^[13] Freight transported from the Port of Mombasa fell from 4.8 million tonnes in the 1980s to 1.5 million tonnes in 2012.^[14] In 2014, Rift Valley Railways, the operator of railways in Kenya and Uganda, reported a loss of $1.5 million.^[15]

At the same time, the Chinese government was funding railway construction in other African countries. In 2011, Kenya signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Road and Bridge Corporation to build a standard gauge railway from Mombasa to Nairobi. Financing was finalised in May 2014, with the China Exim Bank extending a loan for 90% of the project cost, and the remaining 10% coming from the Kenyan government.^[16]

In December 2016, tracklaying was completed and the three types of locomotive that would operate the railway were unveiled. The railway began trial operations on 31 May 2017 and commercial services will begin in January 2018.^[1][17]

Rolling stock

See also

• Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway
• Uganda Railway

References