Kenya Railways wishes to thank H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the National Government and Kenyans at large for the contribution they have made in the reclamation of railway land for the Nakuru-Kisumu, Eldoret-Kitale, Gilgil-Nyahururu and the Thika-Nanyuki lines, to facilitate operations along the Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) corridor. We appreciate the assistance accorded to us by the public in the spirit of patriotism, by reporting incidents of vandalism of our properties and railway tracks.
Even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenya Railways has continued to deliver its transportation mandate, which supports the implementation of the National Government’s Big 4 Agenda. Kenya Railways supports the Manufacturing pillar of the Big 4 Agenda by transporting raw materials, as well as the finished products. We also support the Food Security agenda through transportation of farm inputs and produce.
To more efficiently deliver its roles in the Big 4 Agenda, Kenya Railways has implemented the following services:
The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)
The SGR has a total network of 592km between Mombasa, Nairobi and Naivasha. The SGR line has also led to expansion of the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Nairobi at Embakasi, and construction of the ICD-Naivasha at Mai Mahiu. This has contributed to decongestion of the sea port of Mombasa, and facilitated seamless transit of goods destined to Western Kenya and neighbouring countries.
Since commencing operations of the Madaraka Express service in 2017, Kenya Railways has transported over 5.4 million passengers and more than 1.3 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEUS) of cargo.
The Metre Gauge Railway (MGR)
The MGR has a total network of 2,046km spread across the country. It runs from the port of Mombasa to the border point of Malaba, a distance of 1,082km. It has branch lines to Taveta, Magadi, Nanyuki, Kisumu, Nyahururu, Solai and Kitale.
The line is used for the transportation of freight (containerised and bulk) to Uganda, which relies on the port of Mombasa for importation and exportation.
The Corporation has embarked on rehabilitation of the Metre Gauge Railway infrastructure to increase its reliability, efficiency and safety for freight haulage and passenger movements. So far, Kenya Railways has constructed 10 new commuter stations in Nairobi, undertaken routine maintenance of 1,082km of MGR track and revitalised the 177km Thika-Nanyuki branch line. Other projects include the rehabilitation of:
165km Nairobi Commuter Rail network;
217km Nakuru-Kisumu Branch line;
78km Gilgil-Nyahururu Branch line;
69km Kisumu-Butere Branch line;
65km Leseru-Kitale Branch line;
456km Mombasa-Konza MGR mainline;
465km Longonot-Malaba MGR mainline;
57km Nairobi (Kikuyu)-Longonot MGR mainline;and
Rehabilitation, upgrade and construction of 26.4km MGR sidings for targeted customers and industrial zones.
Renaissance of the Thika-Nanyuki Line
The Thika-Nanyuki Branch line is part of the MGR. It has a direct route length of 177.2km. The branch line was constructed in three phases, namely: Nairobi to Thika, completed in 1913; Thika to Naromoru, completed in 1927; and Naromoru to Nanyuki, completed in 1931.
The line was revitalised in the year 2020, after being in a moribund state for 14 years. It is a single track developed for mixed traffic (i.e. freight and passenger services), and traverses six counties, namely Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri and Laikipia. The stations are located in Nairobi CBD, Makadara, Dandora, Kahawa, Ruiru, Kalimoni, Thika, Mitubiri, Makuyu, Maragua, Murang’a, Sagana, Karatina, Kiganjo, Chaka, Naromoru and Nanyuki.
Passenger Services
The passenger train has gained immense popularity with passengers travelling to Nanyuki and areas along the route. The train, dubbed the Safari Train, operates between Nairobi and Nanyuki, departing Nairobi on Fridays and returning on Sunday. The Safari Train consists of First Class and Economy Class coaches, and charges as low as Ksh200 for the Economy Class and Ksh1,000 for First Class. Passengers can board and alight at any passenger station along the route.
Freight Services
The Thika-Nanyuki MGR freight train transports:
Petroleum products from Mombasa to Nanyuki. Vivo Kenya has a fuel depot in Nanyuki, with a storage capacity of 11.5 million litres.
Construction materials such as cement from the Bamburi Cement Nairobi Grinding Plant in Athi River to Sagana.
Steel by Tropical Sky Limited and Blue Sky Limited to Thika; and stones and other hardware goods to Sagana, Karatina and Nanyuki.
General Consumer Goods such as sugar, household goods, crops and animal inputs from small and medium-sized enterprises based in Nairobi and Thika to Sagana, Karatina and Nanyuki.
Agricultural inputs such as planting seeds, animal feeds and fertilizer consigned by Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) and Kenya Farmers Association (KFA).
Imported factory materials by KEL Chemicals to Thika, following the rehabilitation of their rail siding.
Imported and local wheat, maize to millers in Thika, Sagana, Kiganjo, Nanyuki.
In the down-direction, the train transports:
Cattle from ranches to the Kenya Meat Commission, Nairobi slaughter houses and for the export market.
Agricultural produce from Delmonte for export market.
Chaka Railway Station
The new station is located in Nyeri County, Kieni Constituency. It is strategically positioned to facilitate trade, including serving the newly constructed Chaka Market, which is earmarked to be an industrial hub to serve not only Nyeri County, but the entire Mount Kenya region.
Chaka is a growing township on the junction of Nairobi-Nanyuki Highway (A2), Chaka (Sagana State lodge) Road and Chaka-Mweiga Road. The township is a strategic trading centre envisioned to greatly contribute to the socio-economic growth of Nyeri County. The Chaka Railway Station was constructed to serve the township, offering both passenger and cargo transport.
Economic Gains
The investment and subsequent provision of passenger and freight operations along the Thika-Nanyuki corridor generates the following gains:
Offers affordable, safe and reliable mode of transport for passengers.
Increases efficiency of production, lowering the cost of doing business.
Rationalises production, distribution and location of activities.
Stimulates inflow of new production investments.
Improves the spread of knowledge and innovation.
Value Proposition
The Thika-Nanyuki freight service offers the following value propositions:
Seamless connectivity: The integration of the Nairobi-Nanyuki line route with the rest of the MGR/SGR network.
Operational reliability of the service: The service frequency, adherence to scheduled transit time.
Security for consignments against pilferage and damage.
Convenience and efficiency of loading/unloading facilities at rail freight terminals.
Availability of a convenient delivery service through provision of rail sidings to the final destination (i.e. door-door delivery service).
Availability of logistics hubs along the corridor.
Nakuru-Kisumu-Butere-Line
Renovation of the 286km line is at an advanced stage with passenger services scheduled to resume by December 2021, for the first time in over 15 years.
Nairobi Commuter Rail Service
The Nairobi Commuter Railway Service was commissioned by H.E the President, Uhuru Kenyatta on November 10, 2020. The Service has undergone major infrastructure changes to integrate and expand different components with the aim of modernising and upgrading the existing service.
The upgrade included the construction of new stations, modernisation of existing stations, refurbishing of coaches and other rolling stock, as well as the rehabilitation of the entire commuter rail service network.
The Nairobi Commuter Railway service is envisaged to improve the level of service of the commuter passengers, increase safety of operations and reduce the transit time of the trains.
Outstanding Features of the Service include:
‘Park & Ride’ facilities
Comfortable coaches
Ample security (CCTV cameras) and lighting
Advertising space.
Embakasi Village
Embakasi Village Line, being a branch line, starts from Makadara Railway Station to Embakasi village Railways station, a 7.8km stretch. It has intermediary stations at Donholm and Pipeline.
The railway line is connected to serve companies like the National Cereals and Produce Board (Donholm), Tononoka Steel Group, Kabansora Maize Millers, Kirinyaga Construction Company, ASP Company Limited, among others.
The need to upgrade the line from 50lbs to 80lbs was necessitated by the following factors:
Improving the safety and comfort of passengers and reducing the delivery schedules for commuter train services.
Improving the drainage system.
Improving the stability and haulage capacities of cargo within the said corridor.
Kenya Railways has achieved the following:
Introduction of Diesel Multiple Units, which are intended to convey passengers to and from Embakasi Village and Nairobi on an hourly basis.
Introduction of Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) services from Embakasi Village to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to help in conveying passengers for both domestic and International flights.
Increase the normal commuter train capacity through additional coaches.
Reduce the train schedule time from 50 minutes to 25 minutes from Nairobi to Embakasi Village.
Increase the haulage of goods to customers along the Embakasi corridor through last-mile delivery plan.
The upgrading of the Makadara-Embakasi Village project was successfully completed and launched by H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta on November 10, 2020.
Bus Rapid Transport system (BRT)
To complement the commuter services, Kenya Railways has introduced a last-mile integrated transport service that provides a seamless interconnection between rail and road. This involves the deployment of a scheduled Bus Rapid Transport System (BRT) that links the Nairobi Central Station, CBD, Upper Hill and Westlands. The routes include:
Nairobi Railway Station (NCS) to Upper Hill via Haile Selassie, Ngong Road, Valley Road, Kenyatta Avenue, Uhuru Highway and back to the NCS.
NCS to CBD via Moi Avenue, Kenyatta Avenue, Uhuru Highway, Haile Selassie and back to NCS.
NCS to Westlands via Moi Avenue, University Way, Waiyaki Way and back to the NCS.
Kenya Railways Transit Shed
The Kenya Railways Transit Shed is a temporary storage facility approved by the Kenya Revenue Authority. It was officially inaugurated by His Excellency, the President on November 10, 2020. The shed, which is located within the CBD, was developed following a directive by the Government of Kenya (GoK) to set up a customs facility to allow cargo deconsolidation for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME’s). The facility has the capacity to handle up to 1,000 TEUS. It occupies 480 square metres of warehousing space, and has adequate handling machines such as reach stackers and forklifts.
The launch of operations at the transit shed, also referred to as the Boma Line, has decongested the Nairobi Inland Container Depot, while bringing services closer to the small-scale traders.
In collaboration with approved freight consolidators, MSMEs enjoy minimised shipping costs, faster transit time and decreased wait time. The current transit time, from the time the containers arrive at the port of Mombasa to the transit shed, is 18 hours. Previously, importers had to wait for over five (5) days for their shipment to be delivered. Due to its proximity to the CBD, importers enjoy better shipment scheduling, since the documentation process is faster.
Kenya Railways is responsible for all operations within the facility, which include offloading of cargo from the containers and customs shed storage as well as temporary safe storage, while awaiting administrative formalities such as customs clearance.
Inland Container Depot (ICD) Naivasha
The Inland Container Depot in Naivasha, also served by rail, plays a key role in the clearance of cargo and container handling and acts as the main transshipment point between the SGR and road for freight traffic that is destined for western Kenya and beyond. The Naivasha ICD has improved the efficiency of container mobilisation and eased the pressure on ICD Nairobi, operations in Mombasa seaport and Nairobi terminal. The Naivasha ICD has also supplemented and reduced congestion along Nairobi-Malaba highway.
The Mombasa-Nairobi-Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway facilitates transportation and related logistical services for goods produced within the Special Economic Zone and those on transit to nearby towns and neighbouring countries, including freight destined for Uganda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
Key features of the ICD Naivasha include
Access: The ICD is situated off the Kaplong- Narok-Mai Mahiu (B3) Road on the Kenya Pipeline access road. It lies 15km from Mai Mahiu town.
Capacity: This 45,000 square-metre facility has a capacity to handle over two (2) million tonnes per annum.
Infrastructure: Container Yard, Station Buildings and Station Yards, SGR loop lines (tracks) within the ICD; access roads to the ICD; smart gate mechanism; 24-hour surveillance and a modern information technology platform where importers and exporters will seamlessly clear cargo.
Increased Efficiency: The ICD operations include a one-stop centre for ease of operations and efficient service delivery.
The Kenya Railways Marine School
The Kenya Marine School was officially commissioned by His Excellency, the President on May 31, 2021. The school is fully owned by Kenya Railways as a constituent campus of the Railway Training Institute.
The campus is dedicated to specialised marine and maritime education and training and will also offer Railway and transport logistics courses.
The school was established in the mid-1960s to develop human resources for the then East Africa Railways and Harbours. It was closed in 1992 and reopened in 2018 upon renovation and upgrade of the facilities by Government of Kenya and the World Bank.
The school is accredited by the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) to offer marine and maritime courses in line with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) model courses.
Benefits of the Marine School
Creation of youth employment opportunities. STCW entry requirements is a KCPE certificate.
With the enhanced port activities, the campus shall scale up skills and competence acquisition by stakeholders, hence spurring economic growth in the region.
The school will work with Kenya Coast Guard Service, Kenya Maritime Authority, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Shipyard Limited, to enhance security surveillance through training in order to boost safety of lake users.
Through the marine and maritime training, the campus will contribute to the efficient utilisation of water bodies for sustainable Blue Economy that the Government of Kenya and regional states have committed to promote.
Boost capacity building in disaster preparedness and management.
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Offer training in marine and maritime courses for the region (Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC Congo, South Sudan).
Refitting of the MV Uhuru
Refitting of the MV Uhuru was done in 2019 by Kenya Railways and Kenya Defence Forces, after being grounded for over 15 years. The refitted vessel was officially launched on May 31, 2021 by H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta.
To tap into the petroleum products transportation business from Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC) Depot in Kisumu to Uganda through MV Uhuru, Kenya Railways also constructed a new 1.8km railway line to the Kenya Pipeline Corporation depot.
Operations of MV Uhuru
After rehabilitation, the ship carried the first loaded 22 wagons to Port Bell, Uganda, on December 20, 2019. MV Uhuru transports petroleum products from Kisumu Port to Port Bell and Jinja in Uganda. Kisumu Port to Port Bell Uganda is 282km. The journey takes approximately 17 hours. Kisumu Port to Jinja is 244km, which the vessel covers in approximately 13 hours.
Based on availability of 80 percent cargo, the vessel can make 10 round trips between Kisumu Port and Port Bell, in a month. It can carry 22 tank wagons per trip, bringing a total of 1,100,000 litres. To date, the ship has made over 70 voyages, transporting a total of 59,392.63 tones.
Kenya Railways Nairobi Central Workshop
The Kenya Railways Nairobi central workshops comprise of different shops and facilities to support the maintenance of locomotives, freight wagons, passenger coaches, DMUs, rail rescue cranes, and support plant and equipment. A majority of the workforce mainly comprises of engineers and technicians.
Works carried out in the workshops include:
Overhaul of wagons, coaches and locomotives;
Rehabilitation of wagons, coaches and locomotives;
Major repairs and services on wagons, coaches and locomotives;
Servicing of sub-assemblies for use in the regional depots;
Manufacture and repair of parts;
Special projects, upgrades and modifications of wagons, coaches and locomotives;
Accident repairs of wagons, coaches and locomotives;
Maintenance of electrical and mechanical machines, equipment, cranes, and main substation;
Analysis of failures, design and quality checks.
The facility can overhaul eight (8) wagons in a day, and overhaul a locomotive within 21 days.
Part of the major projects undertaken at the workshop include, rehabilitation of 11 locomotives, overhaul of 22 locomotives and over 300 wagons, rehabilitation of 74 passenger coaches, rehabilitation of Nanyuki line locomotives, AAR couplers project, ballast project, installation of locomotives microprocessors project (QTRON), installation of Onboard Computers (OBC) project, among others.
Corrective repairs done on locomotives include traction motors change-out, body repairs, major components change-out, bogies change-out, and accident repairs, while preventive repairs on locomotives involve major services, overhauls every eight (8) years and many others. Repairs on wagons and passenger coaches include major services, accident repairs, conversions, special projects, overhauls, rehabilitations, among others. Manufacture of parts and components such as hangers, body panel, friction dampers, control rods, braking parts and many other parts used on the locomotives, wagons and coaches, is also done at the workshops.
The central workshop has seven main distinctive areas:
Locomotives section
Freight wagons section
Passenger coaches section
Manufacturing section
Machine and equipment maintenance section
Administrative section
Outsourced services.
Sponsored by Kenya Railways Corporation
Read the original article on Nation.
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