Uganda Railways Working Towards Efi Cient Network
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\ An erailway netw! "# Embakasi inland container depot or the new to Dar-es-salam via Portbell and cargo terminal which serves both meter gauge Mwanza and we are now carrying and standard gauge. We for example load up to 8000 tonnes on that route, containers on standard gauge wagons from we expect to have up to 15000 Port Reitz up to Embakasi inland container tonnes starting September and terminal. At Embakasi, the containers are going forward. transferred to meter gauge wagons which And here, we have brought back move from Embakasi in Nairobi all the way to strategic customers such as Kampala. World Food Programme, Bakhesa, Mukwano, Spedag, Interfreight, The customer can therefore load his cargo !!" either on meter gauge at Mombasa or The Dar-es-Salam route is proving Mukono ICD Wagon roll off from MV Umoja at Portbell, Luzira Kyangamwe or standard gauge at Port Rietz or U Charles A. Kateeba, Managing Director Kilindini and it will reach safely in Uganda. reaching Uganda in three and half operating speed of between 50 -55km per The current system is limited to 35 wagons We are also operating a limited passenger hour, the SGR has an average operating maximum whereas the SGR can carry up About Uganda Railways Corporation days. service currently operating in Kampala speed of 75km per hour. And this means to 100 wagons, the current system can between Kampala station and Namanve that cargo can reach Kampala in less than carry up to 65 tons wagons and the future Uganda Railways Corporation is SGR and Vision 2040 a government agency tasked with station. We have three services a day, one in 24 hours compared to the current system system can carry up to 100 tons wagons. the construction, operations and the morning and two in the evening and carries The Standard Gauge Railway of minimum three days. ` 1000 passengers each way. is meant to revolutionise freight by providing a more productive transport maintenance of railway, marine and To a manufacturer, this means that they road services and our mandate is both transport in East Africa. Whereas system. Life after Rift Valley Railways the current system is designed for will be assured of replenishment every inside and outside Uganda. We operate day, unlike today where replenishment is The SGR will also connect us to our freight services between Kampala and We took over from rift valley railways in January after every three days. neighbors, the current system stops Mombasa, Kampala and Dar-es-Salam this year and I can say, we are doing really well, The most important however, is that at Kasese but the SGR is designed to and over the lake between Port Bell U the meter gauge had come of age and connect to us Rwanda and South Sudan and Mwanza by use of wagon ferries. but so far, a lot is being achieved. it required major refurbishment. Large and this means we can now have better ` sections of the railway line needed trade between these countries. In Mombasa, we work with Kenya was still low and this was because before our replacement, certain corners needed Railways Corporation, and Kenya Ports taking over, there had been six months of realignment, and this would have cost the Attracting investors Authority. As of now, we have two inactivity, and systems had broken down and Government about US$ 1B to rehabilitate ` customers had walked away, because their our network. Currently, we have not opened up to the meter gauge network, where we cargo was delaying for months. private investors, though there are load cargo at Mombasa or Changamwe But by June this year, cargo has started Fortunately, the Government strategically opportunities for investment, notably in and it comes all the way to Kampala picking up, especially after we agreed with decided that rather than spend a billion rolling stock, maintenance, and in the over the Meter Gauge Railway. Kenya Authorities on how to share containers on a system that will give you at most future, opportunities may be available in The second service is in combination between the standard gauge and the meter 55km per hour, we would rather upgrade operations as well. But in order to do that, with the new Standard Gauge gauge wagons. the railway line by straitening it, increasing U Railway, which is between Nairobi and In July for example, we carried 22,000 tonnes, the axle load, increase on the maximum U Mombasa. Here, cargo is loaded at and starting September, we except to go over Passengers aboard the train to number of wagons it can carry, and the it is worth investing in. Kilindini or Port Reitz and it comes to 35000 tonnes. We have also resumed services Namboole pay load that it can deliver..