Infrastructure

CRBC to Begin Laying Tracks on Mombasa-Nairobi Railway

A total of 12 locomotive engines have been delivered to Mombasa for the project.

Updated on

November 2, 2015

locomotives arrive in Mombasa — Some 12 locomotives arrived in Mombasa last week. PHOTO | XINHUA

China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBR) is set to begin laying tracks on the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway, marking a major milestone for the Sh345 billion project.

According to the firm’s deputy general manager Robert Ye, a total of 12 locomotive engines have been delivered to Mombasa for the project that is already running ahead of schedule.

“Today we are witnessing the arrival of more engines for the construction of the railway. The laying of track lanes is expected to be complete in mid-2016 after more than 33 substations are constructed,” Ye said after receiving six locomotives in Mombasa on Monday.

The engines, weighing 130,000 tonnes, were offloaded and transported to Mtito Andei and Emali. Two more locomotives are expected in the country later this month, Ye said.

The 472-km railway, whose completion is scheduled for June 2017, will carry freight trains at speeds of up to 80km/hour and passenger trains at up to 120km/hr.

The new rail line will run parallel to the existing metre gauge railway but will deviate as appropriate to achieve the desired gradient and curvature.

The project is 90 per cent funded by the China Exim Bank, with the Kenyan government financing the remaining 10 per cent.

On October 20, President Uhuru Kenyatta said that the project was 55 per cent complete and that the government had signed a deal with CRBC that would pave the way for the extension of the line from Nairobi to Naivasha.

The Nairobi-Naivasha railway, which is estimated to cost Sh157 billion, will link Olkaria’s special zones to Nairobi and Mombasa to enable a smooth flow of goods and services.