Naivasha SGR cargo to start as depot launched

[John Ashworth]

Naivasha SGR cargo to start as depot launched

Freight services on the Nairobi to Naivasha standard gauge railway (SGR) line will be launched Tuesday ...

“The ICD (Inland Container Depot) will essentially serve cargo going west of Nairobi"... From the ICD, the cargo will be ferried to Western Kenya and the neighbouring countries by road, but the State has plans to revamp the old metre gauge railway (MGR) line and link it to the SGR track in Naivasha. The government had earlier announced plans to revamp the Malaba line with Sh21 billion funding from an unidentified private backer rather than building another modern one with Chinese money... The government yesterday remained upbeat about connecting the SGR to the old MGR line. “We shall also be introducing direct cargo trains from Mombasa to Naivasha, taking only eight hours. From Naivasha, they will be transported by road to the MGR station for onward transmission to the neighbouring countries”...

As the article indicates, the new depot is not in fact in Naivasha, but is near Mahi Mahiu, about 35 km away. It seems fairly ludicrous to transport containers by road between the SGR "Naivasha" (actually Mahi Mahiu) depot and the metre-gauge line (which is actually in Naivasha), so one hopes that they will soon build either an SGR or metre-gauge extension to link the two railways.

[John Ashworth]

Uhuru launches SGR freight services from Nairobi to Suswa

President Uhuru Kenyatta Tuesday launched the Standard Gauge Railway freight services from Syokimau to Suswa.

The new service now extends SGR freight operations from Mombasa to the Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD), taking transit cargo deeper into the country’s hinterland...

Here they are saying Suswa, but my understanding is that the freight depot is somewhere between Mahi Mahiu and Suswa. Suswa is the last passenger station, although the line extends a little beyond the station. I believe that there are only two passenger trains per week to Suswa, one on Fridays and one Sundays. Nearer to Nairobi the stations of Ngong and Ongata Rongai are served by commuter services to and from Nairobi each weekday morning and evening.

[John Ashworth]

SGR bulk storage investors get tax incentives in Bill

Investors who put up large bulk storage and handling facilities costing at least Sh10 billion to support usage of the standard gauge railway (SGR) will enjoy a lower tax in the year they set up the facility...

[John Ashworth]

Railway to nowhere? Kenya launches cargo services on China-funded line

- Freight transport gets under way on billion-dollar rail extension from Nairobi to Rift Valley
- President hits back at critics questioning viability of project...

[John Ashworth]

Maai-Mahiu road upgrade to boost SGR cargo service

The government will upgrade close to 30 kilometres of the road stretching from the recently launched standard gauge railway (SGR) dry port at Kedong to Maai-Mahiu to accommodate heavy trucks ferrying cargo to Naivasha...

“The road upgrade is in the plan as the goods will be transported by road to the MGR {metre gauinge railway} station for onward transmission to the neighbouring countries”...