On 1st January, the first commercial cargo train arrived in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, at the modern inland container depot which was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta. The train operate on 472-km Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge line, opened to passenger trains in June 2017.
“The new commercial cargo train would cut costs and delays in trade for Kenyans and its neighbors. The delivery of a world-class railway on time and within budget, would attract world-class manufacturing and value-addition investments, which are critical to creating jobs and business opportunities,” the president said.
The cargo train carried 104 containers, which is almost equivalent to the trucks operating daily on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway. According to the Kenya’s Ports Authority head of Inland Container Deports, Symon Wahome, the new commercial cargo train will revolutionize the freight transport system in in Kenya. “While the meter train used to carry twenty to thirty containers, the standard gauge train will carry 216 containers,” Wahome said.
Currently there would be four trains operating daily but in the fullness of time eight cargo trains are expected to operate to and from Mombasa.
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