SGR locomotive [Photo/nation.co.ke]
This year’s first freight train on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) departed from the Coastal city of Mombasa to Nairobi on Monday.
The train, which is carrying 32 Through Bill of Lading containers and 20 containers of maize, left Port Reitz Freight station at 5.30am and arrived at the nation’s capital Inland Container Depot at 2.20pm.
According to Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Freight coordinator Hamisi Disi, the freight train, which is hauling 52 wagons, was offloaded at the ICD in Embakasi where owners picked their cargo.
He also revealed that this is the first cargo train to travel on the SGR in 2018 following the commissioning upgraded Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Embakasi by President Uhuru Kenyatta in December last year.
“This is the first freight train to operate on the new SGR line this year," Disi said, as quoted by the Standard.
The pot, which is being managed by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), was constructed by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). The office at the port performs different duties including clearance of goods.
On his part, Kenya’s Ports Authority head of Inland Container Deports Symon Wahome said that the new cargo train will transform the transport sector.
“While the meter train used to carry twenty to thirty containers, the standard gauge train will carry 216 containers,” said Mr. Wahome.
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