The government has registered a milestone after procuring 50 new wagons to bolster the operations of the Madaraka Express freight service.
According to the Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, a second shipment of 250 wagons was loaded at the Tianjin port in China in late January and is expected to arrive this month.
“Today we received 50 new wagons to facilitate the operations of the Madaraka Express freight service. This is a key milestone for Kenya and the region as we seek to improve rail services and efficiency,” Murkomen told KBC.
In his speech, the CS noted that his ministry will put in place the necessary human capital, operational assets and information systems.
“For Kenya to remain competitive we must continue to improve our transport infrastructure. The new wagons are part of our strategic response to market dynamics, and the need to meet the ever-changing customer demands and gain a competitive edge,” he said, adding that the government is at an advanced stage in its plan to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line from Naivasha to Malaba.
“We are also looking to partner with the private sector through PPP (public-private partnership) model to improve the transportation of dry cargo and incorporate cool chain logistics services along the railway line,” the CS said.
He added: “The ultimate goal is to expand the SGR beyond Uganda and Rwanda, all the way to the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
This was the first time new wagons have been added since the launch of SGR in May 2017.
Twenty of the wagons procured will also have power plugins to enable the movement of refrigerated containers, a hitherto untapped business potential for SGR.
The CS said that the refrigerated wagons will be a big boost to the horticultural sector adding that Kenya will be able to respond to the preferences of customers from around the world.
