A passenger train on the newly launched standard gauge railway (Madaraka Express). We understand the SGR and the MGR. [Photo: twitter.com]
So, much has been said about the new 'kid in the block', the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) which has been christened as the Madaraka Express.
But how many really knows why the railway is being termed as 'standard gauge' and what is the difference between the new rail and the old one, the so-called 'Lunatic Express?'
Well, in general, the term ‘standard gauge’ is applied to railways which use a 4′ 8½″(1m and 35cm) distance between the rails, which is known as the ‘gauge’. This is the most common across the world, accounting for approximately 55% of the world’s railways.
However, this is only just over half. So what about the other 45%? There are, in general use, two terms used to describe railways of other gauges: ‘narrow gauge’ for gauges less than 4′8½″, and ‘broad gauge’ for gauges more than 4′8½″.
Having said that, so where does our old railway network belong? Well, our more than 100-year old railway network is a narrow gauge as it is less than 4′8½″. That is why sometimes you will hear some people calling it the MGR or the metre gauge railway to differentiate it from the SGR.
The standard gauge railway has a high ability to handle bigger capacity trains than any narrow gauge railway can do.
Now you know that Kenya has two rails in operation now; narrow and standard gauge. We don't have a 'broad gauge' railway in Kenya as yet.