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MAINA: We hope to launch online SGR ticketing at the beginning of October

Wednesday September 20 2017
Atanas

Kenya Railways Corporation Managing Director Atanas Maina. PHOTO FILE | NATION

By Allan Olingo

The Kenya Railways managing director spoke with The EastAfrican's Allan Olingo about the company’s plans for the full rollout of the passenger train services between Nairobi and Mombasa.

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What is the operational update on phase one of the SGR?

The technical team has handed over and signed off. Currently, we are in the defects liability notification period — parties identify defects, which the contractor is required to rectify between now and May 31 next year.

We have received the rescue cranes that will clear the lines in case of an accident. We are still continuing with the handover from the contractor to Kenya Railways and to the operator — a joint team of China Roads and Bridge Corporation and John Holland of Australia.

What are the staffing plans for the operationalisation of this phase by the contracted operator?

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The operator is in the process of recruiting staff, and we have agreed on the initial rations on the staffing.

We expect about 600 foreign staff and 1,300 local staff. We are negotiating a localisation plan that will ensure that, within five years, the local staff will be 90 per cent.

What other plans do you have as the pilot phase of the SGR transitions to full operation?

There are many documents we are concluding to ensure we get to the full operationalistaion stage of this line.

We are working on the environmental management plan, the start-up operations plan because this is a start-up on trial, the operational and maintenance manual which will allow us to measure how the locomotives, tracks and wagons are put in use and maintained, and the key performance indicators manual to measure ourselves against set targets in terms of freight and passenger movement.

How far are the plans to improve the passenger train service in terms of frequency and ticketing?

We have introduced two stops — at Voi and Mtito Andei. Over the past two months, we have done a lot of work with Safaricom to set up the framework for online ticketing.

We are now in the pilot stage. We have done the interface between systems and we hope to launch online ticketing at the beginning of October.

This will allow all online payment service providers to link up with this system eliminating the need for physical purchase of the tickets, and also allow the use of credit cards to buy tickets.

We looked at who has the technology and experience and we thought it would be easier to work with Safaricom to do the setup, especially since we already had M-Pesa on the system.

When will the frequency of trains between Nairobi and Mombasa increase?

Our plan is to start a second train in October, which will leave Nairobi at 8am and make eight county stops on the way to Mombasa.

It will then do a return express journey at 3.30pm from Mombasa. We will monitor the response and then configure this service so that we can accommodate any new needs.

Will the pricing of the passenger service change?

Yes. The rate was introductory and it was important to make sure that Kenyans had a feel of what the government could give. We have achieved that and now that we will move from pilot stage to full operations, we expect the rate to change.

Rift Valley Railways recently handed over operations to Kenya Railways Corporation. How has the transition been, and what do you plan to do with its assets and operations?

To a great extent the transition has been smooth. We have directed all staff to reapply for their jobs. Because of the nature of the public sector, we cannot take on all 1,470 employees of RVR.

For now we are taking them on board on a six-month contract as we undertake an analysis on the ideal structure. We plan to set up a strategic business plan that will run the meter gauge operations.

We have also been given six months by the ministry to come up with the operations expense plan, the capital expenditure plan that will inform the government on the best way to run the line.

During this time, we will go through a total handover process, assess the quality of the assets and how we will synergise the operations of the meter gauge and standard gauge operations.

Has the transition affected the Ugandan connectivity of the metre gauge network?

The Ugandan concession ended on September 4. They had made a decision to take back their operations. The RVR in Uganda has a hearing in the next three weeks. We are taking cargo up to the border, and they pick it up from there.

How far along are the plans for the second phase of the SGR between Nairobi and Naivasha?

We are doing the relocation action plan, which is detailed. It is in its final stage and we will table to the board this week. After that we will take it to the National Land Commission and then they can start the resettlement stage.

Will there be trained locals taking up leading operational positions in the second phase?

Chinese technical institutions at the Railway Training Institute have trained our diploma holders who have been on the project through the construction, the receiving locomotives, trials and much more.

They have been part of this for the past six months. The contractor has selected the best of the group, and will move on with them to the second stage.

This is under the localisation plan. What have asked the operator to have a good understudying programme when applying for work permits, so that our people understudy these Chinese engineers and catch up across the operations of phase 2A.

In the second phase, we have also asked the Chinese to hire 100 fresh local intern engineers. Currently they have hired 35 engineers.

At the technical level, they have submitted a list of the local pool of people whom they will be taking on. We are currently reviewing this.

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