SGR freight operations rise by 27.5 tonnes
The interlinkage between Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Metre Gauge Railway has driven up cargo operations by 27.5 tonnes.
The growth has been attributed to Kenya Railways Corporation's move to deal with bottlenecks at the evacuation hub at the Port of Mombasa and in surpassing cargo delivery timeliness to designated pick-up points.
In January 2022, the volumes stood at 477,247 tonnes compared to the same period last year, when 449,731 tonnes were delivered both on imports and exports cargo.
KRC managing director Philip Mainga says that the growth in cargo volumes has been boosted by joint efforts in liaison with Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), enabling smooth loading, delivery and clearance of cargo at destination deports in Nairobi and Naivasha.
“The recently inaugurated linkage line on SGR/MGR through Naivasha ICD, enabling end-to-end rail cargo movement especially on transit goods from the Port of Mombasa to Jinja/Kampala and beyond destinations has gained momentum,” Mainga said.
Since the inception of the Madaraka Express Freight Service in January 2018, the cargo volumes have continued to register growth, enabling improved cargo haulage and efficient performance at the port.
According to SGR, the upward trajectory has remained consistent over the last four years.
SGR operator, Afristar, moved 2,930,698 gross tonnes in 2018, 4,159,605 tonnes in 2019, 4,418,444 tonnes in 2020 and 5,419,508 tonnes in 2021.
To enhance cargo evacuations, KRC and Afristar have maintained two Super Tandem long trains of 75 wagons delivering 150 TEUs per train to the Nairobi ICD.
The loading of two double-deck trains, each constantly delivering 152 TEUs per move, has also enhanced cargo evacuations.
Afristar says that it has maintained adequate wagon resources supply, averaging 450/500 dedicated to containerised cargo.
To ensure smooth and steady delivery of products for industrial use that includes steel and clinker, Afristar has maintained a minimum of two daily trains.
Since January, 24 trains have moved cargo to Naivasha, delivering 782 TEUs and 9,392 tonnes of conventional cargo that has a seamless connection on the Metre Gauge Rail network to clients’ preferred delivery destinations.
- Jacktone Lawi
