Kenya Railways Managing Director Atanas Maina said the services will begin before this year ends. [Photo/AfricaReport]
The Kenya Railways has received more locomotives and wagons in readiness for the commissioning of the standard gauge railway freight services.
Managing Director Atanas Maina said the services will begin before this year ends.
“We have a team working round the clock to ensure all aspects of freight operations are in place. The inland container depot at Embakasi (Nairobi), which is a key installation for Kenya’s railway operations, is on course for completion by September,” Mr Maina said, as quoted by The Nation.
The fleet of 18 freight locomotives and 60 wagons designed for double-stacking of containers was offloaded at the Port of Mombasa on Saturday.
Maina said the freight trains have been engaged to assist in the transportation of relief food imported by the government.
“We have transported close to 30,000 tonnes to date,” he said.
The SGR line has been in use for slightly over a month since the project was commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta on May 31.