It still takes a total of 16 days to transport goods from Mombasa to Kampala by trains run by Rift Valley Railways—the entity contracted by Kenya and Uganda to run the 1,400 kilometre line under a 25-year concession.

After several false starts, RVR has rolled out a massive capex programme, which it says will reduce the 1,400 kilometre journey to seven days by June next year.

The company is putting in a total of $23 million in rehabilitating the dilapidated metre gauge track—the first such major investment on the permanent way in twenty years.

RVR has calculated that if it can increase the speeds of the train, cut down on accidents, and reduce journey days, it can grow volumes very quickly.

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Annual transportable traffic at the Mombasa port is currently at 20 million tonnes and growing at a rate of 8 per cent.

But the potential for growth is high indeed because currently, RVR carries only four per cent of traffic from Mombasa, the rest being trucked upcountry by road.

Furthermore, the predictions right now are that the business of carrying bulk traffic will expand following discovery of oil and coal in Kenya and Uganda.

Under the capex programme, RVR is replacing 70 kilometres of curves and bends between Mombasa and Nairobi with new rails imported from China.

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The Mombasa and Nairobi section of the railway line is critical to RVR’s operations both because of the volume of transportable traffic in this section—and the fact that 90 per cent of accidents and derailments on the line happen between Mombasa and Nairobi.

A spot check by The EastAfrican showed the process of replacing the track has moved very fast. As at the end of October, 10 kilometres of rails on 18 curves had been completed.

Rebuilding of culverts

And, on the Uganda side of the line, activity has focused on the complete rebuilding of culverts between Busembatia and Jinja —some of which were at the point of collapsing.

Although the track on the Uganda side is in a much better condition than Kenya, the culverts in this section have been a big problem, necessitating frequent speed restriction and limits on weights the wagons can carry.

During a recent visit to the Iganga region in Eastern Uganda, The EastAfrican found that some of the culverts were almost washed way by floods. RVR is spending $5.1 million in rebuilding the culverts.

Speaking to The EastAfrican, RVR’s CEO, Brown Ondego promised a significant improvement of performance once the first part of the Capex program is concluded mid-next year.

RVR is spending $10.5 million on rehabilitating a total 16 locomotives that have been in operational.

In addition, the company has committed $12.8 million in overhauling a total of 32 main line locomotives and 13 shunting locomotives.

The plan is to complete the overhaul programme by April next year. The cost of transport and logistics in the region remains high compared with other regions with functioning railway systems.