A. Uganda to begin construction of its Standard Gauge railway network in April 2026.
In August 2025, Rogers Atukunda wrote of the construction of Uganda’s Standard Gauge railway network commencing in April 2026. His article can be found here. [1]
B. Uganda is to use electric traction for the Kampala to Malaba Standard Gauge Railway Line.
Uganda has recently confirmed that its Standard Gauge line from Malaba/Tororo to Kampala will operate with electric traction to European standards rather than diesel traction to Chinese standards.
The planned regional standard-gauge network includes two lines separating inside the Eastern border of Uganda at Tororo. These then diverge further in the West (at Bihanga) and in the North (at Gulu). The total route length will be 1,724 kilometres subject to change due to design modifications and additional sidings and/or branch lines. [3]
Kabona Esiara of ‘The East African‘ explained in November 2025 that this required detailed negotiations between the railway authorities in Kenya and Uganda. These negotiations commenced in mid-November 2025. [2]
Uganda and Kenya were working on a raft of technical and policy measures to facilitate a seamless SGR system between the two countries as they work in the next few years on parallel finishing of their SGR lines.
Kenya says it will start constructing the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba line early in 2026 while construction of Uganda’s Kampala-Malaba should commence in the second quarter of 2026.
C. A series of mis-steps in the development of railways in Kenya and Uganda.
Mary Serumaga, in 2018, said that “the building of standard gauge (SGR) railways in both Uganda and Kenya and the predictable sagas that have ensued are reminiscent of the controversies surrounding the building of the Uganda and Rhodesian Railways in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Both present a framework within which it is possible finally to understand the limited achievements in development in all sectors (and frankly, underdevelopment in many) and regression in Uganda’s primary education, copper mining and agricultural sectors. Both SGR projects are tainted with suspicion of shady procurement which, if taken together with the track records of the implementers, points to corruption. It would be irresponsible to say otherwise.” [4]
“The route, design, level of service and all other decisions of the Uganda Railway of 1990 were dictated by potential profits for foreign investors (both public and private) and their local agents, and not by notions of public service and the common good of those who would bear the ultimate cost. Return on investment is not a bad thing but the Imperial government also claimed to be acting in the interests of the indigenous populations. … The difference now is that there is no pretence about whether the railways are serving the interests of the general population. The different financial implications presented by the procurement process itself, the selection of routes and the relative cost of engineering in the different terrains, plus the cost of compensating displaced landowners, provide scope for long-running, energy-depleting corruption scandals. From the outset, there has been a lack of confidence that procurement processes for the necessary services would prioritise the interests of the public over the interests of the contractor and would actively exclude the personal interests of the public servants commissioning the works. This is what is triggering the anxiety surrounding the SGRs.” [4]
“Moreover, the choice over whether to upgrade the old railway or to start afresh was not adequately debated publicly. Ditto the options on financing. For the Kenyan SGR, the most costly of the potential routes were reportedly selectively chosen. Several cheaper routes on land allegedly already in possession of the government are said to have been rejected. … There are also questions surrounding passenger service. Do the railways only serve trade or are passengers entitled to this alternative to dangerous road transport?” [4]
“Uganda owns one half of the old East African Railway. Together with the Kenyan leg, it was put under a 25-year management contract. The new owners renamed their new toy Rift Valley Railways (RVR). In 2017, after only twelve years, the governments cancelled the contracts in a move the RVR called an illegal takeover. On the Ugandan end, there were allegations of asset-stripping by previous European concessionaires as well as unpaid concession fees and massive salary arrears caused by RVR. If RVR were to successfully sue the government for cancellation of the contract, their compensation would be the first budget overrun. … The government of Uganda then signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2014 with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which had submitted a study. It abandoned those negotiations in favour of a second Chinese entity, the China Harbour Engineering Company. In justifying its action, the government questioned the quality of the CCECC’s study, which it said was cut and pasted from pre-existing feasibility studies (something that could have been avoided by following proper procurement procedures). CCECC insists it was a pre-feasibility study requiring less detail than a full-blown feasibility study. Whatever the case, if CCECC had followed through with its suit for US$8 million in compensation, which would have been another massive blow to the budget at inception. Whatever compensation they have agreed to has not been made public but as matters stand, the budget for the eastern leg of the SGR has gone up from CCECC’s proposed US$4.2 billion to CHEC’s US$6.7 billion.” [4]
The remainder of Mary Serumaga’s article which looks back at colonial construction work and draws parallels with 21st century procurement and construction in East Africa can be found here. [4]
D. President Yoweri Museveni’s State of the Nation Address in June 2025.
In June 2025, President Museveni highlighted significant rail developments, advancing the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project to link with Kenya and the region, aiming to cut costs and boost trade, while discussing financing for the $2.8 billion Kampala-Malaba SGR and emphasizing participation in the development of the new rail infrastructure. In essence, the 2025 address signalled a push for comprehensive road and railway modernization and expansion, leveraging oil revenues and debt financing to build a robust network for economic transformation. [5] Museveni said, “we are soon finalizing the construction of the 1,443km East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) from Buliisa to Tanga in Tanzania. The construction of the SGR, which I launched last year, is soon starting,” [5] and “the NRM Government has prioritized infrastructure development especially roads, railways and electricity.” [5] In addition, the government will be focusing on revitalizing metre-gauge lines (like Tororo-Gulu, Kampala-Malaba).
E. Kenya – Additional Madaraka Express Trains for the Christmas period.
Kenya Railways announces additional Madaraka Express trains from 8th December 2025, to 5th January 2026, to meet increased festive season demand. The Nairobi-Mombasa train departs Nairobi at 9:40 AM, arriving in Mombasa at 3:35 PM, while the Mombasa-Nairobi train leaves at 4:30 PM, reaching Nairobi at 10:55 pm. [6]
“The railway operator said the move comes in response to increased demand during the holiday period, when thousands of Kenyans and tourists journey along the scenic Nairobi-Mombasa route. … ‘We are committed to providing a safe and convenient travel experience, and the additional services will help ease congestion while maintaining punctuality’ reads the notice dated 2nd December.” [7]
The December 1958 issue of The Railway Magazine featured three photographs of Beyer Garrett locomotives at work in East Africa. These were giants of the metre-gauge that grappled with long loads on steep inclines and at times sharply curved track radii. [1]
1. EARClass ’55’ Garratt No. 5504 at Diva River
Class ’55’ Garratt No. 5504 on the up mixed train at Dura River. [1: p849]
The KUR EC5 class was a class of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives built during the latter stages of World War II by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Gorton, Manchester for the War Department of the United Kingdom. The two members of the class entered service on the Kenya-Uganda Railway (KUR) in 1945. They were part of a batch of 20 locomotives, the rest of which were sent to either India or Burma. [2: p64]
The following year, 1946, four locomotives from that batch were acquired by the Tanganyika Railway (TR) from Burma. They entered service on the TR as the TR GB class. [2: p64]
In 1949, upon the merger of the KUR and the TR to form the East African Railways (EAR), the EC5 and GB classes were combined as the EAR 55 class. In 1952, the EAR acquired five more of the War Department batch of 20 from Burma, where they had been Burma Railways class GD; these five locomotives were then added to the EAR 55 class, bringing the total number of that class to 11 units. [2: p64]
This locomotive was Works No. 7151, War Department No. 74235, War Department India No. 423. It was one of the two that went to Burma Railways (their No. 852) from where it was purchased by Tanganyika Railways in 1946 and became their No. 751. It came to the EAR in 1949 and received the No. 5504. [3]
Sister locomotives in Class 55 can be seen here [7] and here. [8]
Dura River was the last station on the Western Extension before the end of the line at Kasese, Uganda. The River flowed North to South towards Lake George and was crossed by the railway at the Eastern edge of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Mapping and satellite imagery in the area are not highly detailed – the following images are the best I can provide. …
The EAR 58 class was a class of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge, 4-8-4+4-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in Manchester, England, in 1949. [9]
The eighteen members of the class were ordered by the Kenya-Uganda Railway (KUR) immediately after World War II, and were a slightly modified, oil-burning version of the KUR’s existing coal-fired EC3 class. By the time the new locomotives were built and entered service, the KUR had been succeeded by the East African Railways (EAR), which designated the coal-fired EC3s as its 57 class, and the new, oil-burning EC3s as its 58 class. [2: p66][9]
No. 5804 was built in 1949 (Works No. 7293) and originally given the KUR No. 92. Its sister locomotive No. 5808 (Works No. 7297, given KUR No. 96 but never carried that number) was the first to enter service with the EAR. [9]
EAR ‘Class 58’ Locomotive No. 5803 (a sister to 5804) is seen here at Changamwe, Kenya, with the Mombasa–Kampala mail train, circa 1950-51. [9]
Other locomotives in the class can be seen here, [11] here, [12] and here. [13]
Kikuyu Station is 20 kilometres or so from Nairobi, during construction of the railway, railway officers established a temporary base in Kikuyu while they supervised work on the laying of the track down at the rift valley escarpment.
Daily mixed train, headed by class ’60’ Beyer-Garratt locomotive No. 6021, Sir William Gowers,” about to leave Kasese, terminus of the East African Railways & Harbours Western Extension in Uganda. [1: p849]
The EAR 60 class, also known as the Governor class, was a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt-type articulated steam locomotives built for the East African Railways as a development of the EAR’s existing 56 class. [2: p77]
The 29 members of the 60 class were ordered by the EAR from Beyer, Peacock & Co. The first 12 of them were built by sub-contractors Société Franco-Belge in Raismes (Valenciennes), France, and the rest were built by Beyer, Peacock in Gorton. The class entered service in 1953-54. [2: p77]
Initially, all members of the class carried the name of a Governor (or equivalent) of Kenya, Tanganyika or Uganda, but later all of the Governor nameplates were removed. [2: p77]
No. 6021 was built by Beyer Peacock (Works No. 7663). It was not one of the class built by sub-contractors Société Franco-Belge. It was given the name ‘Sir William Gowers’ when first put into service, losing the name along with other members of the class in the 1960s after independence. …
Other members of the class can be seen here, [17] here, [18] and here. [19]
Kasese Station only became part of the rail network in Uganda in 1956. The construction costs of the whole line from Kampala were very greatly affected by the difficult nature of the country in the final forty miles before Kasese. Severe problems were presented by the descent of the escarpment, which involves a spiral at one point, while from the foot there is an 18-mile crossing of papyrus swamp through which a causeway had to be built, entailing a vast amount of labour. The extension to Kasese was built primarily to serve the Kilembe copper mines. Construction of the line from Kampala to Kasese took approximately five years. [21]
In Part 1, we looked at the railways in the North of Namibia, that article can be found here. [4] This article covers lines which left Windhoek and covered the South of the country.
After the aerial image immediately below, the next three images form a kind of ‘tryptic’ which shows the TransNamib train yard and station at Windhoek. Taken together they show the full site. …
The railway line from Windhoek to Nakop is 869 kilometres (540 miles) long. The section between Karasburg and Keetmanshoop was completed in 1909. In 1912, the 500 kilometres (310 miles) connection between Karasburg and Windhoek was completed, and the extension to Upinhton (South Africa) was built in 1915.
Windhoek
Aris
Rehoboth
Tses
Keetmanshoop
Karasburg
Nakop (border)
Upington
We start our look at the main line to the South, in Windhoek at the South end of the Railway Station site. …
The southern end of Windhoek Railway Station, seen from John Meinert Street. [Google Streetview, 2023]The line South, from John Meinert Street. [Google Streetview, 2023]A satellite image showing the railway South of John Meinert Street. [Google Maps, June 2025]The next length of the line to the South, to a point South of the B6. [Google Maps, June 2025]The bridge carrying the railway across the B6. [Google Streetview, 2024]
Although it does not look like it as yet, the line South of Windhoek Railway Station climbed relatively steeply as it meandered South. … As we will soon see, the landscape South of Windhoek is different to that to the North of the city.
The line to the South of the B6 curves round the residential area of Schmerenbeck Street. [Google Maps, June 2025]The line then crosses the Gammams River and under David Hosea Meroro Road. [Google Maps, June 2025]The triangular junction visible in this image gives access to the branch line to Gobabis. [Google Maps, June 2025]The line then passes under the B1. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking South from the B1. [Google Streetview, 2024]Then the line(s) cross the Arebbusch River. [Google Maps, June 2025]The next road to bridge the line is the C26. [Google Maps, June 2025]The view from Mandume Ndemufayo Avenue (C26) back towards Windhoek Railway Station. [Google Streetview, 2024]The view South from Mandume Ndemufayo Avenue towards the hills. [Google Streetview, 2024]The line passes under the city’s Western Bypass. [Google Maps, June 2025]This view looks North-northeast under the Western Bypass towards Windhoek Railway Station. [Google Streetview, 2024]Looking South from the Western Bypass. [Google Streetview, 2024]The line passes once again under the B1 as the hills draw closer. [Google Maps, June 2025]The view South-southeast along the line from the bridge carrying the B1. [Google Streetview, 2022]
The line continues to wind its way into the hills passing under the B1 once again.
The line has deviated away from Birmingham as it finds its own way into the hills. It returns to pass under the modern road again. [Google Maps, June 2025]The view South from the bridge carrying the B1. The line enters a very short tunnel just to the South of the modern road. [Google Streetview, 2022]The B1 continues to climb as it heads South. The railway takes a different path as it gains height. It crosses over the B1 by means of this bridge. [Google Streetview, 2022]
Some kilometres further along the line it again crosses the B1. This time the road bridges the line. …
Both road and railway continue their journey South. Here their paths cross once again close to Aris Railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking back along the line to the North from the bridge carrying the ,B1 over the line. [Google Streetview, 2022]And from the same bridge looking Southwest into Aris Railway Station. [Google Streetview, 2022]
The community of Aris and its railway station are shown in a YouTube video. …
Aria Railway Station. [9]
South of Aris Railway Station,two tracks run in parallel as far as Aris Quarry.
Part of Aris Quarry appears at the bottom left of this satellite image. The other significant part of the Quarry sits to the Southeast on the East side of the B1. [Google Maps, June 2025]At Aris Quarry Google Maps shows three bogie hopper wagons at a short wharf. [Google Maps, June 2025]T
The line continues South towards Rehoboth. …
Quarry land sits on the East side of the line at the top of this next satellite image. A dry water ourselves can be seen across the image. It is bridged by the line. [Google Streetview, June 2025]A closer image of the truss girder bridge crossing the dry river bed. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The next two satellite images show the line heading further South. …
For a short distance the B2 runs close to the railway. The railway then crosses two more dry watercourses. [Google Maps, June 2025]The view from the B1 at the top of the satellite image immediately above looking West. The railway line can be seen between the road and the mountain. [Google Streetview, January 2024]The bridge over the first dry river. [Google Maps, June 2025]The bridge over the second of the two watercourses. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The next three satellite images take the line further South, running on its own course with the B1 away to the East. …
Close to the bottom of this image the railway crosses the Oanob River’s watercourse on a causeway with a short trestle bridgeThe truss girder bridge over the dry watercourse of the Oanab River. [Google Maps, June 2025]
More satellite images take us further South. The first two of these extracts from Google’s satellite imagery shows the line running past the Omeya Golf and Residential Oasis. More about this relatively recent development can be found here [6] and here. [7]. The second of these is a sales video produced to attract investors and house sales.
Four satellite images take the line South to a point where it once again runs alongside the B!. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking Southwest from the B1 just to the North of its junction with the D1427. The railway can be seen in the background behind the closest trees. [Google Streetview, 2022]
Over the next 3 or 4 kilometres the line and the road run in parallel, with little worthy of note, Before the railway moves away to the West of the road once again. …
The line crosses four dry watercourses before turning towards the East. [Google Maps, June 2025]Running Southeast the line follows the fourth of the watercourses and passes under the B1. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking North-northwest along the line from the bridge carrying the B1. [Google Streetview, November 2023]Looking Southeast from the same bridge towards Rehoboth. [Google Streetview, November 2023]
The line wanders its way through the hills to the East of the B1 passing from the Khomas Region of Namibia into the Hardap Region. It runs through a number of small townships close to the Usip River before entering Vogelpan where Rehoboth Railway Station was sited.
Just a short distance to the South of Vogelpan, the railway turns East to cross the Usip River. ….
Looking East from the C25, the line can be seen curving away to the East and crossing the channel of the Usio River. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
Just to the South of the location of the photograph immediately above, the C25 itself turns East and crosses both the Usip River watercourse and then the railway.
Looking North-northwest from the ungated crossing on the C25, along the railway back towards Vogelpan. [Google Streetview, August 2024]Looking Southwest from the same crossing on the C25, along the railway. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
The railway runs down the East side of the River Usip passed its confluence with the Oanob River. It then continues alongside the Oanob (less than 1 kilometre to the East of the river).
The railway then crossed the Oanob River and a tributary in quick succession. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The first bridge (on the left) crosses the Oanob, the second (on the right, crosses the tributary). [Google Maps, June 2025]
The line then continues, pretty much in a South-southeast direction for some considerable distance with little to remark on. It passes close to Duinevelde on its way South before reaching Kalkrand.
The railway is seen here (from a minor road to the West of the line) approaching Kalkrand from the North. [Google Streetview, August 2024]Kalkrand and its railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]Kalkrand Station and passing loop. [Google Maps, June 2025]
Southeast of Kalkrand the line and the B1 run in parallel. …
Road and rail together head Southeast. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking East from the B1, the railway can be seen on a parallel course. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The dunes of the Kalahari desert appear in the top right of this satellite image. [Google Maps, June 2025]The railway flirts with the edge of the dunes. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The line continues in a generally Southeasterly direction along the edge of the Kalahari Desert before beginning to swing round to the South and heading into rougher terrain where its route is dictated by the contours. …
Sidings some distance to the South of Kalkrand. [Google Maps, June 2025]These two structures carry the line over watercourses in the hills [Google Maps, June 2025]
Further South and again on flatter terrain the line passes under the C20. …
Looking North-northwest along the line from the bridge carrying the C20. [Google Streetview January 2018]Looking Southeast along the line from the same bridge. The various storage tanks on the horizon are associated with Agrimark, an agricultural and retail store, part of the Agrimark, Namibia network. Adjacent to it, between the Fish River and the B1 and on the West side of the Fish River is an area of irrigated fields. [Google Streetview, January 2028]Agrimark’s storage facility heralds the arrival of Southbound strains in the town of Mariental. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking North from an ungated crossing on a minor road North of Mariental. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Looking South from the same crossing. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Further South, the line bridges a dry watercourse which is a tributary of the Fish River. [Google Maps, June 2025]The bridge in the above satellite image as seen from the B1. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Immediately North of Mariental, the crosses another minor road at an ungated crossing. This view looks North along the line. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Looking South towards Mariental from the same crossing. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Mariental Township with the Railway Station at the centre of the satellite image. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The next two extracts from Google Maps satellite imagery cover the length of the railway station site. …
These two images show the station site at Mariental. [Google Maps, June 2025]Mariental Station building. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The station building at Mariental seen fromt he Southwest. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Immediately South of Mariental, the B1 and the railway run South side by side. [Google Maps, June 2025]The railway seen from the B1 to the South of Mariental. [Google Streetview, January 2018]A series of different culverts and bridges support the line over historic channels most of which are dry. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The next road crossing is that for the C18. It is another ungated crossing and this is the view looking North along the line. [Google Streetview, August 2024]And this is the view South along the line at the same crossing. [Google Streetview, August 2024]Looking Northwest from the ungated crossing over the D1068 at Asab. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Looking Southeast from the D1068 into the station at Asab. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Asab Trading CentreSidings/Station and River. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking North from the B1 along the Asab River watercourse with the railway bridge close to the centre of the image. [Google Streetview, December 2023]
The line continues Southeast from Asab. …
Looking North from the D3919Looking Southeast from the D3919The line continues Southeast towards Tses on a shallow embankment with bridge openings for run-off water over dry watercourses. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Tses Township, the B1 and the railway. [Google Maps, June 2025]Tses Station and Sidings. [Google Earth, June 2025]Tses River Bridge. [Google Earth, June 2025]Looking Northeast from the bridge carrying the B1 along the line, back towards Tses. {Google Streetview, December 2023]Looking ahead to the Southwest from the same bridge. [Google Streetview, December 2023]
The line continues in a generally Southwards direction. Again, when hills are encountered it curves its way along the contours to limit gradients. …
Another glimpse of the line from the bridge carrying the B1 across the outfall channel from the Van Rym Dam on the approaches to Keetmanshoop. [Google Streetview, December 2023]
Keetmanshoop is the next significant settlement on the line. …
4-8-0 Locomotive Class 7A, No. 1011 was built by Neilson & Co, of Glasgow, Scotland, as works no 4930 in 1896, it was brought to Keepmanshoop in 1980 to be plinthed. The first Class 7 locomotives were commissioned by the Cape Government Railways and delivered by Dübs & Co of England in 1892. Follow-up batches were built by Sharp, Stewart & Co, Neilson, Reid & Co, and North British Locomotive Company. They had a wheel arrangement of 4-8-0, coupled wheels of 3’6 3/4″ (1086mm diameter) and Stephenson link valve gear. The engines were originally powered by saturated steam, but many were later reboilered and converted to use superheated steam. Modifications such as larger boilers, increases in cylinder diameters and larger cabs resulted in the reclassification of the locomotives as Class 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E and 7F. More information and photographs can be seen here. [16]
More modern facilities at Keetmanshoop Railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]A view of these modern facilties from the Southwest on Darn Viljoen. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The yard and turning triangle at Keetmanshoop Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]The view of the yard from the corner of 3rd Street and 12th Avenue. [Google Streetview, December 2023]
While Keetmanshoop railway Station sits approximately on an East-West alignment is is approached bey means of a sharp curve from the North and trains leaving to the South take a sharp curve to the South within the township.
The line continues to the South. … First five images following the line South and Southwest as far the point where the B4 bridges the line.
A series of five images following the line, first along Railway Street and then at an ungated crossing, all photographs are taken looking Southwest. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The length of line covered by the images above. The B4 crosses the line at the bottom of the image. [Google Maps, June 2025]
Two pictures now taken from the bridge carrying the B4 over the line.
Looking North from the B$ towards Keetmanshoop. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Looking South along the line ahead. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Looking Southwest along the line from an ungated crossing to the South side of the B4. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Looking Southwest along the line from another ungated crossing to the South side of the B4. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The B4 and the railway run parallel, perhaps around 100 metres apart. This photograph shows the line running parallel to the road. Google Streetview, December 2023]Another view looking Southwest, this time from the ungated crossing which takes the C12 dirt road over the line. [Google Streetview, January 2018]The last image showed a passing loop to the Southwest of the C12. This satellite image shows the full length of the loop. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The railway turns to the West as it approaches the junction at Seeheim.
The railway continues to run parallel to the C12/M28 for some considerable distance. Close to Grunau the C12/M28 meets the B1 which crosses the line at 90°.
Looking East-southeast from the bridge carrying the B1 over the railway, the passing loop at Grunau is just ahead. [Google Streetview, 2024]The railway station/passing loop at Grunau to the East of the B1. [Google Maps, June 2025]Grunau Railway Station, (c) Pgallert (2010) and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [17]
East of Grunau, the line runs parallel to the B3 in a southeasterly direction. …
The line bridges the dry watercourse of the Hom River and other watercourses as it head Southeast. [Google Maps, June, 2025]The Hom River Railway Bridge, seen from the B3 Bridge over the same watercourse. [Google Streetview, 2022]Two further structures carry the Railway over dry watercourses on the run into Karasburg. [Google Streetview, The railway enters Karasburg from the North West, curving round to close to a North-South alignment through the railway Station and then sharply curving round to the Northeast as it leaves the town. [Google Maps, June 2025]The view South towards Karasburg Railway Station from the ungated crossing at Hendrik Snyman Street. [Google Streetview, January 2024]Karasburg Railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]The turning triangle at Karasburg. [Google Maps, June 2025]
Karasburg Railway Station: passenger platform/building (note the painted edge of the platform) and goods shed. The pictures below come from 1914/1915 and show different aspects of Karasburg Railway Station at that time.
Karasburg Railway Station in 1914/1915. [18]The engine shed in 1914/1915. [18]Pointwork at Karasburg Railway Station. [18]
As we have already noted the line South of Karasburg Station curves sharply to the Northeast and passing under the M21.
Looking West from the bridge carrying the M21 over the railway at Karasburg. [Google Streetview, September 2024]Looking East from the bridge carrying the M21 over the railway at Karasburg. The curve shown on the last image continues as the railway turns to the Northeast. [Google Streetview, September 2024]East of Karasburg the line runs Northeast alongside the B3 before head East on the South side of the road. [Google Maps, June 2025]
For some distance the line runs along the South side of the B3. separating from it close to Nuwefontein. The B3 crosses to the East side of the Ham River, with the railway remaining on the West side of the river, before crossing it close to De Villiersputs. Near Grondorner, the line crosses the D237 and bridges a tributary of the Ham River before running alongside the D237 in a Southeasterly direction. After a number of kilometres, the D237 turns away to the South and the line continues in a generally easterly direction.
Meandering to the north and then again to the East the line of the B3 once again and runs on its South side towards Ariamsvlei, the border with South Africa and Nakop, beyond the border in South Africa.
Ariamsvlei Railway Station and marshalling yard. [Google Maps, June 2025]The view East into the site from the B3. Google Streetview, January 2024]Ariamsvlei turning triangle and border post which is just about 10 kilometers from the border with South Africa. Nakop is beyond the border. [Google Maps, June 2025]
Beyond Ariamsvlei is the border crossing at Nakop and the South African town of Upington.
Windhoek-Gobabis
Next we look at a line which ran East from Winhoek. … The railway line from Windhoek to Gobabis is 228 kilometres (142 miles) long and was completed in 1930. [10]
Windhoek (capital – junction)
Neudamm
Omitara
Gobabis (branch railhead)
The line to Gobabis leaves the Windhoek-Nakop line at a triangular junction and headed East.
The Windhoek-Gobabis line leaves the line to Nakop in the Southern suburbs of Windhoek. [Google Maps, June 2025]
These next fourteen satellite images show the line wandering back and forth through the Windhoek suburbs. …
These fourteen extracts from Google’s satellite imagery take the Gobabis line to a point to the East of Sam Nujoma Drive. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking South-southwest from Andries de Wet Street along the line of the railway towards Windhoek Railway Station, showing the substantial bridge under construction in 2024. [Google Streetview, 2024]
The journey beyond Andries de Wet Street continues, the next satellite images cover larger areas than the ones above. ….
This sequence of three images takes the line out into open country beyond the Avis River. [Google Maps, June 2025][The truss girder bridge which carries the railway over the B6 and the channel of the Avis River. [Google Streetview, January 2024]
The line continues in a generally easterly direction, although the contours of the terrain mean that the railway has to meander back and forth to find the most advantageous route. These next extracts from Google’s satellite imagery show the way that the line picks its way through the landscape. …
This sequence of four extracts from Google’s satellite imagery takes the line as far as Finkenstein. [Google Maps, June 2025]The railway station close to Finkenstein Estate/Village. [Google Maps, June 2025]The view Southwest from the D1527 along the railway towards Windhoek. Google Streetview, January 2024]Looking Northeast into the railway station site from the D1527. [Google Streetview, January 2025]A little further to the Northwest on the D1527, this is the view looking Northeast into the goods yard at the station. [Google Streetview, January 2024]
These two images indicate the area of the Finkenstein Estate/Village and current proposals for new housing and a new major road.The location of the railway Station can be seen at the top-left of the satellite image. The lighter swathe of ground curving across the top half of the satellite image is the construction site for the new road. [5][Google Maps, June 2025]
The line continues East from Finkenstein. At the right side of this satellite image the railway passes under the B6. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking Northwest from the B6 along the line towards Finkenstein Station and Windhoek. [Google Streetview, January 2024]Looking Southeast from the B6 the line is curving to the South. The older road bridge is visible alongside the B6. Not too far ahead, out of shot are the construction works for the road that will replace the B6 as a main artery. [Google Streetview, January 2024.
Almost immediately after passing under the B6, the line begins to swing round from a Southwestern trajectory to the Northeast and then the East before passingunder the B6 again.
Looking Northeast from the bridge carrying the B6 over the line. The line can be seen curving round to the East. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
The line heads generally in an easterly direction and after some kilometeres runs alongside the Seeis River. …
The railway bridges the Seeis River and then runs alongside both the river and the B6. [Google Maps, June 2025]
Stocking close to the South bank of the Seeis River, the line passes to the North of Sonnleiton Village before rejoining the B6 close to Windhoek Airport, and passing to the South of the airport and then running immediately alongside the B6.
The railway seen looking North from the B6. [Google Streetview, January 2024]
Both road and rail pass just to the North of the settlement of Seeis where an old railway station was sited, and then over the River Seeis.
The Seeis River Railway Bridge seen looking North from the B6. [Google Streetview, January 2024]
The video below shows the settlement, its station and its bridge. ….
YouTube video of Seeis and its station and railway bridge. [19]
Beyond Seeis the railway continues alongside the B6 in a Northeasterly direction. The railway then turns further Northwest and leaves the B6, finding its own path towards Gobabis. It crossed the D1535 at an ungated crossing. The D1535 then runs alongside the railway heading Northeast before crossing the railway again at another ungated crossing. Both road and railway cross the Wit Nossob River and run along its North bank, crossing tributaries enroute before passing to the North of the Otjivero Reservoir and Dam.
The Otjivero Reservoir and Dam. The railway runs on the North side of the D1535. [Google Maps, June 2025]
Beyond the Dam, the railway follows the C29 heading East. it pulls away a little to the North to create room for Omitara Railway Station.
Omitara Railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]Omitara Railway Station, (c) Arche-foto, Burkhart Rüchel, and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence, (CC BY-SA 3.0). [20]
Northeast of the station the railway passes under the C29, continuing to run East-northeast and then East, and then Southeast, before returning to run alongside the B6 once again. Following the line on satellite images has become increasingly difficult.
This photograph looks along the line to the East from the ungated crossing over the D1658 at Grunental. As can be seen the line is significantly over grown by grasses. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking East at the ungated crossing over the D1663, the line seems to be disappearing into the sand. {Google Streetview, January 2024]Looking West at the old station site at Witvlei. [Google Streetview, January 2024]Looking East at the old station site at Witvlei. [Google Streetview, January 2024]Witvlei Railway Station in 2018, (c) Hp.Baumeler and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons licence, (CC BY-SA 4.0). [21]Looking back West along the apparently little used line towards Windhoek from the bridge carrying the B6 across the line. [Google Streetview, January 2024]Looking East from the same bridge, the line is almost indistinguishable from the surrounding grassland. [Google Streetview, January 2024]
The railway continues to the East, with the B6 running parallel to it on the North side.
Looking East along the line at an ungated crossing on a minor road.The B6 can be seen over to the left. [Google Streetview, January 2024]
The line begins to turn to the Southeast before crossing the Black Nossob River. …
Looking Southeast from the C30 along the line towards the Black Nossob River. [Google Streetview, January 2024]The railway bridge over the Black Nossob River close to Gobabis. [Google Maps, June 2025]Gobabis: the Black Nossob River, Reservoir and Dams are on the left side of the satellite image. The railway bridge over the Black Nossob can just be picked out in the extreme top left of the image. The railway flanks the reservoir and lake before passing under the B6 and then, after the B6 has turned through 90, under the B6 (Gobabis Bypass).Looking West from the B6 bridgeLooking East from the B6 BridgeLooking Northwest from the Gobabis Bypass (B6).Looking Southeast from the Gobabis Bypass (B6).Looking Northwest from Heroes Lane/Creamery Lane, GobabisLooking Southeast from Heroes Lane/Creamery Lane, Gobabis
The 6 images immediately above show the railways approach to Gobabis Railway Station.
Gobabis Railway Station. Its turning triangle can be seen at the right side of this satellite image. A series of sidings are the end of the line, these are just Southeast of the turning triangle. [Google Maps, June 2025]Gobabis Railway Station Buildings. [Google Maps, June 2025]Gobabis Railway Station Building, (c) Hp. Baumeler and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). [22]Plinthed at Gobabis Railway station is this 5 man railway inspection car (c) Hp. Baumeler and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). [23]Also plinthed at Gobabis Railway station is this small flatbed wagon, (c) Hp. Baumeler and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). [24]
Gobabis is the end of the line. There are plans on the drawing board for a Trans-Kalahari Railway Line which would extend East from the current livestock railhead at Gobabis and may well be electrified. [25][26][27]
Seeheim-Lüderitz
The final length of line to be looked at is that from Seeheim to Lüderitz. The railway line from Seeheim to Lüderitz is 318 kilometres (198 miles) long. The connection between Lüderitz and Aus was completed in 1906, and the extension to Seeheim was completed in 1908. [1] The service between Aus and Lüderitz was decommissioned in 1997, due to poor track condition, and there is no regular passenger service between Seeheim and Aus. … The line to Lüderitz was rehabilitated in the 2010s and was scheduled for reopening in 2017. Test trains ran to Lüderitz in 2014 and Lüderitz Harbour in 2018. [2]
We begin this journey from Seeheim Railway Junction. …
Seeheim Railway Junction. [Google Maps, June 2025]
Just a short distance Northwest along the line from the junction is Seeheim Railway Station.
Seeheim Railway Station in very early days. [30]The train yard at Seeheim in the 21st century. The Skaap River is just to the South of the Yard. [Google Maps, June 2025]A short distance beyond the limits of the old railway station the line crosses the Fish River close to its confluence with the Skaap River. This is a very early postcard image of the railway bridge over the river. A modern image of the bridge in the distance on this postcard can be seen here. [29] [30]The bridges over the Fish River in the 21st century. [Google Maps, June 2025]After crossing the Fish River the railway follows its North bank. [Google Streetview, June 2025]It crosses a couple of tributaries before heading away from the river into the hills. [Google Streetview, June 2025]
After some distance winding through the hills, the railway line crosses the D463, bridges a dry watercourse and crosses an open area of sand before again winding its way through more hills, heading Northwest. The next image shows the location of Sandverhaar Railway Station and Bridge.
Sandverhaar Railway Station and Bridge. [Google Maps, June 2025]Sandverhaar Railway Station, (c) Matthias Bruhin & Hp.Baumeler and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). [28]
A little further West the line crosses the dry watercourse of the Gurib River and close to Alte Kalkofen Lodge passes through the site of what was Simplon Railway Station.
Immediately to the West of Simplon Station, the line crosses the D462 and then, for a short while runs alongside the B4.
At Goageb, the line passes under the B4 before entering the Railway Station.
Looking Northwest from the first bridge at Goageb carrying the B4 over the line. [Google Streetview, December 2023]
Goageb Railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The Station building and water tower at Goageb, seen from the Southwest. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The platform, station building and water tower at Goageb, seen from the Northwest. [Google Streetview, December 2023]
The bridge carrying the railway over the Konkiep River, seen from the bridge carrying the B4 over the river. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Looking back towards the railway’s bridge over the river. [Google Streetview, January 2018]Looking Northwest from the bridge carrying the B4, along the line of the railway. [Google Streetview, January 2018]
After passing under the B4 the railway turns North-northwest and runs alongside the B4 for a few kilometres before the road turned away toward the North. The railway then turns to the Southwest.
A relatively short passing loop is provided seemingly in the middle of nowhere! [Google Maps, June 2025]
These next few pictures give a sequence of satellite images or views in sequence along the line.
An igneous rock intrusion alongside the lineA dramatic S-curve on the line. Another unnamed passing loopThe line running South of and close to the B4Looking South from the B4 along the D446 we can see an ungated crossing . The railway is around 100 metres from the B4 at this location.A memorial has been placed at the site of a prisoner of war camp from the First World War to the East of the town of Aus.The Camp near Aus for German prisoners of war 1915-1919, (c) Public Domain. [31]Immediately to the South of the Kriegsgefangenen Denkmal, the war memorial, there are a series of sidings/passing loop on the railway as shown here. [Google Maps, June 2025]A gantry crane, cabins and water tower are present at this location. [Google Streetview, January 2024]
It is only a short distance from this location to the township of Aus. The railway passes, first, under the C13 and then into Aus.
The view Northwest from the C13 towards Aus. [Google Streetview, January 2024]Aus Railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking Southeast, this photograph shows the railway line curving round into Aus Railway Station. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The Southeast end of Aus Railway Station site. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The station approach at Aus. [Google Streetview, December 2023]
Northwest of the railway station, the line crosses the C13 again, this time at an ungated crossing.
Looking Southeast from the ungated crossing on the C13 towards Aus Railway Station. [Google Streetview, December 2023]Looking Northwest along the line from the ungated crossing on the C13 – Aus church is prominent in this photograph. [Google Streetview, December 2023]
West of Aus the railway passes through the hills. The next image looks backthrough those hills towards Aus.
Looking back towards Aus we can see the line meandering through the hills. [Google Streetview, November 2021]Looking ahead along the railway line from the same location. [Google Streetview, November 2021]
The next station on the line was at Garub. The station is no longer in use.
Garub Railway Station: the station hose and water tower remain standing. [Google Maps, June 2025]Garub Railway Station building in the early 1900s, (c) Public Domain. [32]
This image of Garub station house and water tower is embedded here from fineartamerica.com. [33]
To the West of Garub the B4 and the railway run in parallel. The line passes through another abandoned stations at Tsaukaib, Haalenburg, Rotkop and Grasplatz.
The abandoned Railway Station at Haalenburg, looking West. [Google Streetview, December 2023]The abandoned Railway Station at Grasplatz, looking West. [Google Streetview, December 2023]
At Kolmanskop there is an entire derelict mining station which once had its own railway station.
Kolmanskop seen from the B4 with the railway visible in front of the buildings.Kolmanskop mining village. The diamond mine was to the South of the village. [Google Maps, June 2025]
As well as its railway link to Lüderitz, Kolmanskop was “the terminus of two private narrow-gauge electrified railway lines that served the diamond mining industry further south. One ran 119 kilometres (74 mi) via Pomona to Bogenfels. It was completed in 1913 but destroyed during World War I in 1915 by South African troops. The other railway line, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) long and completed in 1920, led to Charlottental. Both were powered by a 1.5 megawatts (2,000 hp) power station in Lüderitz, then assumed to be the largest in Africa.” [1][34][35]
Kolmanskop is only a short distance from the Atlantic Ocean. The B4 and the railway find their own way down to the coast at Lüderitz.
The railway meanders down to the coast following the contours to keep the gradient to a minimum. On the way it passes through a turning triangle. It not obvious why the turning triangle is located at this point on the railway. However, not far beyond the triangle there are a series of sidings/loops which are shown in the image below.
Goods transfer sidings/loops close to Lüderitz. [Google Maps, June 2025]Just short of Lüderitz, the Atlantic is on the left of this photograph, the railway on the right. [Google Streetview, January 2024]Looking West along the railway towards the centre of Lüderitz. [Google Streetview, January 2024]Further along the line and looking North. [Google Streetview, January 2024]Looking North from the ungated crossing at Bay Street. The platform of the passenger station is just ahead. [Google Streetview, January 2024]
A photograph looking Southwest through the station can be viewed here. [37]
The engine shed and yard in Lüderitz are to the Northeast of the station platforms. [Google Maps, June 2025]The gates to the port at Lüderitz seen from Hafen Street. [Google Streetview, January 2024]The Port of Lüderitz. [Google Maps, June 2025]An aerial view of the port. [36]
The Railway Magazine of February 1952 carried an article by Charles E. Lee about railways in what was German South West Africa. This encouraged me to have a look at the history of Namibia’s railways and their condition and extent in the 21st century. The 1952 article also caught my attention because Manchester Diocese (I was a priest in Manchester Diocese before retirement) is linked with the Diocese of Namibia.
The territory was formally colonized by Germany between 1884-1890. It covered an area of 835,100 sq. km. It was a settler colony and had attracted around 3,000 German settlers by 1903, who primarily settled in the central high grounds. [2]
German South West Africa, now known as Namibia, was a German colony from 1884 to 1915. It was not a province within the German Empire but a separate colonial territory. From 1891, the capital was Windhoek, which also serves as the capital of modern-day Namibia. [2]
The arrival of German settlers disrupted the existing socioeconomic balance and led to conflicts, particularly with the Herero and Nama people.
“In 1883 Franz Adolf Lüderitz, a merchant from Bremen, Germany, established a trading post in southwest Africa at Angra Pequena, which he renamed Lüderitzbucht. He also acquired the adjacent coastal area, which he named Lüderitzland. These areas were constituted the first German colony under German protection on April 24, 1884. The German occupation subsequently extended inland. By the latter 1880s the German Colonial Company for the South realized that it was incapable of administering the territory, and the German government immediately took over the colony’s administration. As a result of the Zanzibar Treaty (1890) between Germany and Great Britain, German South West Africa acquired the Caprivi Strip (named after the German chancellor Graf Leo von Caprivi), a tract of land 280 miles (450 km) long in the extreme northeast of the territory; the colony thus gained access to the Zambezi River.” [3]
German colonial rule was harsh, leading to insurrections and resistance. “Major Theodor Leutwein, governor of the colony in 1894–1904, suppressed insurrections of the Khoekhoe (1894) and of the Hereros (1896). In 1904, however, the Hereros fomented a far more dangerous rebellion. The German force, at first only 750 strong and supported only by one artillery battery, had to face an army of some 8,000 men equipped with modern weapons. Reinforcements increased the German force, ultimately under the command of General Lothar von Trotha, and resulted in a decisive German victory on the Waterberg River. Further Khoekhoe rebellions were put down in 1904–07.” [3]
German South West Africa was occupied by the South African Union Defence Force in 1915 during World War I, and Germany formally ceded the territory under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Its administration was taken over by the Union of South Africa (part of the British Empire) and the territory was administered as South West Africa under a League of Nations mandate. It became independent as Namibia on 21st March 1990. [2]
The Railways
The railways in German South West Africa played a crucial role in the colonial administration and the First World War campaign. The German colonial authorities built a railway network between 1897 and 1914 to enable colonial territorialization and facilitate the extraction of resources. [4]
Charles E. Lee tells that “under the German regime, the first railway in South West Africa was the Northern State Railway (NSR), as it was then called, built to a gauge of 60 cm. (1 ft. 11 in.) between Swakopmund and Windhoek, via Jackalswater and Karibib, a distance of 238 miles. This line was begun in 1897 and was built by a German Military Brigade from Europe. It was first intended to be worked by animal power – Argentine mules or Cape donkeys – but steam traction was soon adopted. The first section (15 miles) was opened to traffic from Swakopmund in January 1898. By the end of that year 68 miles were ballasted and 54 open. In July 1900, the line was opened to Karibib, 121 miles, and the whole railway completed to Windhoek, a further 117 miles, in June, 1902. The curves and gradients were very severe, the gradient out of the Khan River gorge, for instance, being 1 in 19 with curves of 180 ft. radius. The rails weighed about 19 lb. a yard and were laid on iron sleepers. There were iron girder bridges at Khan River, Dorst River, and Kubas. The only good and plentiful water supplies were at Swakopmund and Karibib.” [1: p121]
Wikipedia tells us that there was actually an earlier line than the one Lee talks about. It was a small mining rail line at Cape Cross in 1895. [5] “Soon afterwards, the ox-cart transport system totally collapsed, in the wake of a rinderpest epidemic in 1897. As it was necessary to react quickly to the now extremely precarious transport situation, decisions were made: to build a railway line from the German port of Swakopmund to Windhoek (the Staatsbahn); to use existing, 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge military Feldbahn material; and to entrust a railway brigade with the construction work, which began in September 1897.” [5]
Wikipedia continues: “Construction of the railways connecting with the Staatsbahn was aimed partly at military strategic objectives following the uprising of the Herero and Nama, and partly at economic requirements. … By World War I, the following lines had been developed (listed by the first year of full operation):” [5]
1902: Swakopmund–Windhoek line, 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge, Karibib–Windhoek section re-gauged in 1911 to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge. [5]
1906: Otavibahn, 600 mm gauge. [5]
1905: Onguati–Karibib branch. [5]
1908: Otavi–Grootfontein branch. [5]
1907: Lüderitzbahn, 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). [5]
1909: Seeheim–Kalkfontein branch. [5]
ca 1911: Kolmannskuppe–Elisabethbucht–Bogenfels, industrial railway of the diamond fields. This 600mm gauge railway was electrified from 1911 (the only electric railway in Namibia’s history). Diamond mining in the region gradually moved south. The northern part of the line as far as Pomona was abandoned in 1931, and some of its materials were used for the extension of the railway towards Oranjemund. The southern section was operated with diesel traction. This line no longer exists. [5]
1912: Windhoek–Keetmanshoop railway, 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge. [5]
1912: Rehoboth shuttle, 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge (questionable). [6][7][2][5]
1914: Otjiwarongo–Outjo–Okahakana, 600 mm gauge (project started, but not completed due to the war). [5]
Lee talks of the formation, by the Otavi Mining & Railway Company, an Anglo-German syndicate owning the copper mines at Otavi and Tsumeb, of a railway: “This company was formed in Berlin in 1900, in accordance with an arrangement between the South-West Afrika Company, the Disconto-Gesellschaft of Berlin, and the Exploration Company. The first intention was to build a 3 ft. 6 in. gauge railway from Port Alexander in Portuguese West Africa to run in a south-easterly direction up the Muende River Valley and via Etosha Pan to the Tsumeb Copper Mines, and later to extend this line to Rhodesia to form a trans-African railway. Eventually it was decided to form a 60 cm. gauge line entirely in German territory connecting Swakopmund with Tsumeb, a distance of 351 miles. Construction was undertaken by Arthur Koppel & Co. and was begun in November 1903, but was delayed by the Herero War, and the work completed on 25th August 1906. This undertaking, called the Otavi Railway, had the distinction of being the longest narrow-gauge railway in the world. Branches were laid subsequently from Otavi to Grootfontein (56 miles) and from Onguati to Karibib on the State Railway (9 miles). The cost is stated to have been about £2,400 a mile, or roundly £1,000,000 in total. The railway was bought by the German Imperial Government in 1910 for £1,250,000, but the management was left in the hands of the company under a 30-year lease, terminable after 10 years.” [1: p121]
This line was well constructed, and well ballasted. It had a ruling gradient of 1 in 66 and minimum curvature of 150 metres. The permanent way consisted of steel rails in 30-ft. lengths, 30 lb. a yard, laid on steel sleepers weighing about 26 lb. each. “From Swakopmund, for a distance of 68 miles, the line rises steadily on a grade of 1 in 66 to Ebony Station, where it reaches an altitude of 3,500 ft. (On the down journey, the last 40 miles into Swakop-mund can be run by gravity.) From Ebony there is a regular fall to Usakos, which is 2,640 ft. above sea level. From Usakos it climbs 690 ft. in 13 miles to Onguati, and continues to rise until it attains its greatest elevation near Kalk-feld, where the summit is 5,200 ft.” [1: p121]
“The Otavi Railway, like the State Railway, was built to the 2 ft-gauge, though a difference of 1 centimetre in the wheel gauges is stated to have prevented the free interchange of rolling-stock. The widening to 3 ft. 6 in. of the gauge between Swakopmund and Omaruru had been voted by the German Railway Board, but the work had not been put in hand by the outbreak of the 1914 war. A new branch projected at the same period was the Ovamboland Line, the first aim of which was to provide Ovambo labour for the South. The Landesrat in November 1913, approved a line of 2 ft-gauge, but on earthworks and bridges wide enough for a 3ft. 6in. gauge track, to run from Otjiwarongo (on the Otavi Railways) to Outjo and Okahakana.” [1: p121]
Railways in South West Africa from Swakopmund, mainly German- built, included the 361 miles to Tsumeb, opened in 1906, and the longest narrow-gauge railway in the world. The gauge at the Southern end was widened in 1915. [1: p122]
A sum of £450,000 was allowed for the line from Otjiwarongo to Outjo and Okahakana “in the German Loan Estimates for 1914-15. The first section, including the 55 miles from Otjiwarongo to Amiab Poort, was to cost £250,000. Construction was begun, and the line was laid for 22 miles before the outbreak of hostilities in the first world war.” [1: p123]
“Railway developments south of Windhoek, on the 3 ft. 6 in. gauge, made it desirable to convert the earlier 2ft. lines. During 1911, the section from Karibib to Windhoek was converted to 3 ft. 6 in. gauge at a cost of £550,000, with the Bechstein-Koppel Gesellschaft as contractor. The ruling gradient [was] 1 in 66 with a minimum curvature of 656 ft. This work was completed during 1913. The Swakop River at Okahandja [was] spanned by a bridge 350 ft. long, and there [was] a smaller bridge at Otjihavera. About the same time, the coastward section from Karibib to Swakopmund was practically abandoned in favour of the alternative route provided by the Otavi Railway. In fact, the settlers in the Swakop Valley, who asked for a short railway to link them with Swakopmund, were promised in November 1913, that the material from the disused 92 miles of the State line between Swakopmund and Kubas would be used for this purpose, but it was not done.” [1: p123]
An image showing an armoured train in South West Africa during World War I, 1914-1918, can be found here [29] The South African army invaded the German colony of South West Africa in March 1915 overrunning the much smaller German forces.
Wikipedia tells us that, “With the outbreak of World War I, the German Schutztruppe military unit retreated from the coast, and withdrew into the inland. In the process, the Schutztruppe destroyed the Otavibahn, and the old Staatsbahn towards Karibib, as far as Rössing.” [5]
The Staatsbahn was abandoned but this was not the case with the Otavibahn. In 1914, “British troops … moved forward from the British enclave of Walvis Bay, and by the end of 1914 they had built a 37 km (23 mi) long 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) railway to Swakopmund. The Otavibahn was also reconstructed in 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) as far as Usakos, and the section between Usakos and Karibib was realigned. The network north of Usakos remained in 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge; the workshop for both gauges was consolidated in Usakos, and the one in Karibib was closed.” [5]
Lee tells us that by 1917 the Staatsbahn line from Karibib to the coast had ceased to exist. “the line between Karibib and Rossing (95 miles), the 10-mile branch from Jakalswater (built to carry water from the Swakop River at Riet), and the Kubas military line (4.5 miles), were lifted and removed to provide material for Tanganyika and the Union of South Africa.” [1: p123]
Lee goes on to confirm that the Union forces, in the course of their invasion of German South West Africa, “laid a 3 ft. 6 in. line for 100 miles inland from Swakopmund to Kranzberg along the original track of the Otavi line, which the Germans had wrecked in their retreat. This was completed in August, 1915. The construction of a new 12.5-mile section, of the same gauge, from Kranzberg to Karibib, was completed in July 1915, and again connected the Otavi Railway with the [NSR]. Thus, in August 1915, there was continuous communication of uniform gauge for the first time from Swakopmund to points south of Windhoek. As strategic railways had meanwhile linked the Union Railways with those of South-West Africa on 25th June 1915, a through railway of 1,635 miles was provided between Walvis Bay and Cape Town.” [1: p123]
Also during the first world war, a new railway from South Africa was constructed – “as an extension of the De Aar-Prieska Railway – to achieve a secure supply route for … South African troops. In 1916, the line was connected to the German network at Kalkfontein (now Karasburg).” [5]
“With the linking of the Kranzberg-Tsumeb 2ft-gauge line to the workshops at Usakos by means of a third rail between Usakos and Kranzberg on the 3-ft. 6-in. gauge track of improved location, the 9-mile section from Karibib to Onguati was no longer of value, and it was uplifted in 1924.” [1: p123]
“The former Otavi Railway system [was] therefore represented [in 1952] by about 100 miles of 3 ft. 6 in. line on the coastward section, part of the main railway system of South-West Africa, and 307 miles of 2ft-gauge farther inland. [In 1952, there were] also various private branch lines (some disused) connected with the 2ft section. [In 1952], the present main line of this gauge [was] from Kranzberg to Tsumeb, some 251 miles, on which one train in each direction [was] run two days a week.” [1: p123]
Wikipedia continues: Under South African/British occupation, the following lines were established (listed by first year of full operation): [5][10]
1914: Walvis Bay–Swakopmund in 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). [5]
1915: Swakopmund–Karibib: Reconstruction in 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). [5]
1915/1916: (De Aar)–Nakop (border)–Kalkfontein in 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). [5]
1921: Otjiwaronge–Outjo 600mm gauge (based on German preparations). [5]
1929: Windhoek–Gobabis railway in 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). [5]
From 1958: the Otavibahn north of Usakos was gradually regauged to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm), with the new line being laid parallel to the existing line, but largely on new foundations; the new line was in operation from 1961. [5]
“From August 1915 the Namibian railway network was operated de facto by South African Railways, and this arrangement became official in 1922. … From 1959, steam locomotives were gradually replaced by diesel locomotives, for which an engine-house was built in Windhoek. This made operations very much easier, because water is in short supply in Namibia, and the coal needed to heat the water in the steam locomotives also had to be procured from the Transvaal.” [5]
The Namibian Network in the 21st century
In the 21st century, the rail network of Namibia is operated by TransNamib. As of 2017, the Namibian rail network consisted of 2,687 km of tracks. [11]
The railway line from Windhoek to Kranzberg is 210 kilometres (130 miles) long and was completed in 1902. [10]
Windhoek (capital – junction)
Okahandja
Karibib (proposed cement works)
Kranzberg (junction Tsumeb v Windhoek)
After the aerial image immediately below, the next three images form a kind of ‘tryptic’ which shows the TransNamib train yard and station at Windhoek. Taken together they show the full site. …
Wikipedia tells us that “the station was built in a Cape Dutch-style and is located on Bahnhof Street. An additional northern wing was constructed by South African Railways in 1929 to match the existing style of the building. … The station also houses the small Trans-Namib Railroad Museum which outlines Namibian transport history, particularly that of the railway. Opened on 1st July 1993, the exhibition consists of a wide range of railway equipment, maps and related items which date back to German colonial times. Another part of the exhibition is dedicated to Namibian Airways history and Namibian Maritime history. … Across from the entrance [to the station] stands the German locomotive ‘Poor Ole Joe’, one half of a South West African Zwillinge, No 154A, the sole surviving specimen of this type of steam locomotive. It was originally shipped to Swakopmund in 1899 and reassembled for the run to Windhoek” [23][24]
Namibia Scientific Society posted the following on Facebook on 9th June 2020: Poor Ole Joe is a 600mm-gauge steam locomotive “and was manufactured in 1900 by Henschel & Sohn GmbH, Kassel, Germany, under the serial number 5376. It was put into operation in 1904 and operated on the Swakopmund – Windhoek route. The steam locomotive was taken out of service in 1939 after traveling approximately 371,000 miles.” [25]
There is some uncertainty over the date of fabrication of the locomotive. Perhaps the two years mentioned relate to a date when the locomotive was shipped from the factory and the date of completion of the reassembly in Swakopmund?
The railway line from Kranzberg to Walvis Bay is 201 kilometres (125 miles) long. The section between Kranzberg and Swakopmund was completed in 1902. In 1914, an extension to Walvis Bay was commissioned; the rails were laid close to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1980, this extension was replaced by an alternative route behind the dunes that allowed for higher axle load. [10]
Kranzberg (junction Tsumeb v Windhoek)
Usakos
Arandis (crossing loop)
Swakopmund
Walvis Bay (port)
Looking back Northeast towards Kranzberg Railway Station from the B2. [Google Streetview, 2024]Looking Southwest along the railway towards Usakos’, Arandis and Swakopmund. [Google Streetview, 2024]
Key locations along the line to Swakopmund are illustrated below: …
Before having a look at the Rossing Uranium Mine, it is worth a quick diversion Northwest of the station and marshalling yard shown above. The Namibia Institute of Mining & Technology is host to a plinthed display of a locomotive and carriages from the old 2ft-gauge railways of Namibia.
This image shows a complete (but short) 2ft-gauge train at the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology. [Google Streetview, 2024],
This train was once on display in Windhoek. It was moved to the Namibia Institute of Mining Technology (NIMT) outside Arandis. and restored with the help of Wesbank Transport and AWH Engineering, Rigging and Rentals. The locomotive, is a Henschel Hb 56. The locomotive and its wagons were in use between Usakos and Tsumeb between 1906 and 1959. The South African Railways then donated it to the National Museum in Windhoek and in 1964 it was placed in front of the Alte Feste, but it was too close to the Reiterdenkmal and was moved in 1974 to the southern side. The train consists of the locomotive, a coal wagon, a closed goods wagon, a passenger coach for first and second class and a wagon in which the conductor travelled with the mailbags, milk and cream cans that were picked up along the route. The passenger coach could transport 16 passengers. The first-class passengers could sit on upholstered seats while the second-class passengers sat on plain wooden benches. The two classes were divided by a small washroom. The conductor’s wagon was destroyed in 2007 when it was set alight by a homeless person who slept in the train and made a fire. The boilermaker and carpentry students at NIMT renovated the train. [35]
“The locomotive is from the class Hb 0-6-2T. Of the 15 locomotives built by Henschel for the Otavi line between 1905 and 1908, six were absorbed into the SAR. The engines had Allan valve gear and often ran with an auxiliary tender attached which contained both coal and water.” [36]
Walvis Bay was a British enclave in German South West Africa. The first narrow gauge railway in the British ruled Cape Colony was in Walvis Bay. Initially projected merely to connect the jetty with the town, the Walvis Bay Railway was opened in 1899 and ran for twelve miles up north to the German border at Plum. [17]
“On 6th March 1899 the Agent General for the Cape of Good Hope ordered a “Sirdar” class locomotive named ‘Hope’ which was almost as long in transit to Walvis Bay – where it arrived on 22nd August 1899 on board the British barque Primera – as it had been in the building. Because of the extremely light nature of the track (12 lb. rail with sleepers spaced three feet apart) HOPE was provided with an additional pair of carrying wheels at both ends. Thus the standard 0-4-0T type was converted to a 2-4-2T type. Even so the maximum axle load of ‘Hope’ in working order would be about 1¾ tons, which is considerably more than today’s suggested figure for this category of track of 1 ton 4 cwt. Within six years the railway was virtually moribund and by 1915, ‘Hope’ had been laid aside and forgotten. That was because the Germans preferred to use their own harbour in Swakopmund.” [17][18]
Two works photographs of ‘Hope’: in the one with the valance (wheel cover) raised, one of the smaller carrying wheels can just be made out on the left of the picture. [17][18]
Kranzberg-Otavi
The railway line from Kranzberg to Otavi is 328 kilometres (204 miles) long and was completed in 1906. [10]
Kranzberg (junction Tsumeb v Windhoek)
Omaruru
Kalkfeld (short siding)
Otjiwarongo (junction for Outjo)
Otavi
Kranzberg Railway Station has already been featured above. The next images show the line from there to Otavi. …
Kranzberg Railway Station. [Google Streetview, June 2025]
The loop allows trains from Windhoek to access the route to Otavi without reversing. That line running towards Otavi sets off from Kranzberg in a Northeasterly direction crossing a series of dry watercourses and gradually taking a more northerly course before encountering the D2315 (a dirt road).
From Kalkfeld the line heads in a generally Northeasterly direction towards Otjiwarongo.
As on the earlier length of the line, we see it crossing a number of dry river beds. [Google Maps , June 2025]
The next five images are a sequence which shows a long passing loop, perhaps halfway towards Otjiwarongo.
A sequence of five images shows a passing loop. The sequence has the Northeast end of the loop in the first of the five images and the Southwest end of the loop in the fifth image, immediately above. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The next five images show a sequence of structures over dry river beds
Five bridges spanning dry watercourses. [Google Maps, June 2025]This photograph is taken from the C33 which has followed the railway Northeast towards Otjiwarongo. [Google Streetview, 2024]Approaching Otjiwarongo, this photograph faces East-northeast from alongside an ungated crossing around 50 metres Southeast of the C33. [Google Streetview, 2024]This photograph faces East-northeast along the approach to Otjiwarongo Railway Station. The road from which it is taken is the C38. [Google Streetview, 2024]Otjiwarongo Railway Station is a junction station with line onward to Otavi and Outjo. [Google Maps, June 2025]Otjiwarongo Railway Station building. [Google Streetview, 2024]Otjiwarongo Goods Shed. [Google Streetview, 2024]In 1912, Henschel built three 2-8-2 tender engines No. 40, No. 41 and No. 42 for the Otavi line for use on the Swakopmund-Karabib section. No. 41 is plinthed outside Otjiwarongo Railway Station. Like many other SWA locos they had dust covers to protect the motion. The carrying wheels were arranged as radial axles. As there were no separate bogie truck, the axle boxes were guided in such a way that the wheels could move radially with respect to the frame. At that time the railway was a 2ft-gauge line [Google Streetview, 2024] More information can be found here. [39]
The line to Otavi continues heading Northeast. …
The line to the Northeast of Otjiwarongo Railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]At the bottom-left of the image above the line crosses the C33 at an ungated crossing. [Google Streetview, 2024]A closer satellite view of the length of the line to the Northeast of the C33. A few sidings serve industries to the South of the line. The road at the centre of the image running North-South is Industria Street. [Google Maps, June 2024]Looking West from Industria Street. [Google Streetview, 2024]Looking Northeast from Industria Street. [Google Streetview, 2024]The B1 to the Northeast of Otjiwarongo bridges the line. This view looks Southwest towards the railway station. [Google StrLooking Northeast towards Otavi from the B1. [Google Streetview, 2024]The line runs parallel to the B1 heading Northeast. [Google Streetview, July 2024]Looking Northeast along the line from an ungated crossing at the D2430. The B1 can just be seen on the left of this image. [Google Streetview, July 2024]A little further Northeast this photograph, taken from the B1, shows a minor road crossing the railway at an ungated crossing. [Google Streetview, July 2024]As we travel Northeast, the landscape becomes greener. This another view looking East from the B1 and shows another ungated crossing of a minor road. [Google Streetview, July 2024]The line passing under the B1. The landscape has changed. The line is running through dense shrubs and small trees. [Google Streetview, 2024]In Otavi, this is Phyllis Street. It crosses the line at the Southwest end of the station site. [Google Streetview, 2024]Otavi Railway Station and turning triangle. [Google Maps, June 2025]Otavi Railway Station building. [Google Streetview, 2024]
It is worth noting here that the original gauge of the line from the coast to Otavi and Tsumeb was originally built to 2ft-gauge. Later it was converted to 3ft 6in gauge. The line was built for the Otavi Mining and Railway Company (Otavi Minen- und Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft or OMEG). The company was founded was a railway and mining company in German Son 6th April 1900 in Berlin with the Disconto-Gesellschaft and the South West Africa Company as major shareholders. [41]
The first locomotives designed for regular service were fifteen 22-tonne 0-6-2T locos built by Arn. Jung. [41][42: p45] Henschel & Sohn built twelve locomotives similar to the Jung design and three 0-6-0T locos. [41][42: p45] Twenty 8-wheel auxiliary tenders carrying 8 cubic metres of water and 3.5 tonnes of coal were built to enable these tank locomotives to complete longer runs. [41][42: p45][43: p65] Henschel & Sohn built three HD class 2-8-2 in 1912 with separate 8-wheel tenders for long-distance running. [42: p47] These locomotives weighed 59 tonnes (including the 26-tonne tender) and remained in service for 50 years as the 2-8-2 type became standard for the railway. [41]
By 1913, train service included 4 express trains, 14 mixed trains, and 29 freight trains each week. [42: p39] Express and mixed trains included a baggage car, a car for African passengers, and a coach for first and second class passengers. [42: p39] The passenger coaches carried concrete ballast in a depressed center section to minimize the possibility of wind tipping a lightly loaded car off the rails. [43] Express trains stopped only at designated stations, but other trains would stop at intermediate points when transport was required. [42: p39] Equipment included: 96 low-side ore gondolas; 55 high-side gondolas; 20 limestone gondolas; 20 boxcars; 12 tank cars; 4 stock cars; 3 passenger coaches; and an executive business car with a kitchen, a bathroom, and an office convertible to a bedroom at night. [41][42: p42][43: p65]
There were also some self-powered steam rail cars with a coal bunker, a mail compartment, 2 compartments for Europeans, and 4 for Africans. [41][42: p36]
Otavi-Grootfontein
The railway line from Otavi to Grootfontein is 91 kilometres (57 miles) long and was completed in 1908. [10]
Otavi (junction for Grootfontein)
Grootfontein (branch terminus)
Otavi Railway Station, seen from the C39 at the Northeast end of the station site. [Google Streetview, 2024]From the same location on the C39 a wider view shows the sidings at Otavi Railway Station [Google Streetview, 2024]Turning through approximately 180° and looking Northeast, the line to Tsumeb runs towards the hills at the left of the image. The line to Grootfontein curves away to the right. [Google Streetview, 2024]Looking back towards Otavi Railway Station from the ungated crossing on Josef Buchholz Avenue. [Google Streetview, 2024]Turning through 180°, this is the view Sputheast from Josef Buchholz Avenue towards Grootfontein. [Google Streetview, 2024]Heading Southeast out of Otavi the line to Grootfontein passes under the B1. This is the view along the line from the road and bridge. [Google Streetview, 2024]Out of Otavi, the line soon starts to accompany the B8 in its journey East. This photograph is taken from the B8 and shows an ungated crossing on a minor road. [Google Streetview, 2024]An ungated crossing provides access from the B8 into Kombat. The road is the D2863. This is the view East at the crossing. [Google Streetview, 2024]
The line turns away from the B8, to the North. As it does so it crosses the D2860 at an ungated crossing.
The line to Grootfontein crosses the D2860 at an ungated crossing. [Google Streetview, 2024]
The line follows the D2860 and then the D2905 before passing under the B8, as it heads for Grootfontein.
An ungated crossing to the South of the D2905. [Google Streetview, 2024]The view ahead along the line towards Grootfontein from the B8. [Google Streetview, 2024]The view towards Grootfontein from a minor road ungated crossing. [Google Streetview, 2024]Much closer to Grootfontein, another view East along the railway. [Google Streetview, 2024]The fuel depot at Grootfontein. [Google Maps, June 2025]Grootfontein Railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]Grootfontein Railway Station in 2007. This image was shared on the African Railway Station Stopping Places Facebook Page In 2012. [46]Grootfontein Railway Station goods depot in 2007. This image was shared on the African Railway Station Stopping Places Facebook Page In 2012. [47]
Grootfontein railway station is being converted into a logistics hub for business with the DRC and Zambia.
At the moment, trucks from the DRC, Zambia or Namibia travel about 2,500 kilometres from Walvis Bay harbour to Lubumbashi. With the introduction of the Grootfontein hub, these trucks will travel a distance of about 1,400 kilometres. TransNamib is prepared to dedicate four trains a week for this business idea. [44]
Immediately to the East of the railway station the line turns to the South and is clearly not well used and significantly overgrown in places. [Google Maps, June 2025]After a few hundred metres the line turns to the East. It can clearly be made out towards the bottom of this satellite image. [Google Maps, June 2025]The line continues East and passes under the D2830. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking West from the D2830, a short length of the line can be seen just to the right of the centre of this image. [Google Streetview, 2024]To the East of the D2380 a series of sidings still exist. [Google Maps, June 2025]It is harder to make out the sidings in this view. The photograph looks East from the D2380. [Google Streetview, 2024]These last two satellite images show the extent of the tracks in the industrial area to the East of the D2380. [Google Maps, June 2025]
Otjiwarongo-Outjo
Otjiwarongo (junction for Outjo)
Outjo (railhead)
Otjiwarongo Railway Station is illustrated above. The railway line from Otjiwarongo to Outjo is 69 kilometres (43 mi) long. The first 26 kilometres (16 mi) were completed under the German colonial administration in 1914/1915; the railway line was named Amboland Railway in reference to the territory of the Ovambo people. The link to Outjo was completed in 1921 under South African rule. [10]
The branch line to Outjo can be seen turning away North from the line to Otavi. [Google Maps, June 2025]The branch line crossed the C33 at an ungated crossing. This photograph looks South from the C33 towards Otjiwarongo Railway Station. [Google Streetview, 2024]Turning through 120°, or perhaps more, standing on the C33, the rails of the line to Outjo disappear into the vegetation. The line has clearly not been used for some time. However, we will see that much of the line to Outjo remains in place and perhaps could be renovated should the need arise. [Google Streetview, 2024]The line curves round towards the West. On the way it appears often out of the undergrowth. Here, this minor road crosses the old railway and the signs still stand proudly either side of the line, either side of the railway. [Google Streetview, 2924]The road shown above appears bottom-right of this image. [Google Maps, June 2025]The line then heads Southwest for a while before gradually turning through the West to the Northwest. [Google Maps, June 2025]The line appears out of the brush quite often and sometimes for significant distances, as these two. [Google Maps, June 2025]These two images are typical of what can be seen on satellite imagery. The line appears out of the brush quite often and sometimes for significant distances. [Google Maps, June 2025]The line turns through West to Northwest. [Google Maps, June 2025]It continues, Northwest. [Google Maps, June 2025]One passing loop appears out of the undergrowth. [Google Maps, June 2025]Here it can be seen crossing another minor road. [Google Maps, June 2025]And then a tarmac road. All crossings are ungated. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The next series of six photographs show sidings parallel to the running line. This location is more than just a passing loop but I have not been able to establish whether a specific local industry was the reason for the sidings. The photographs run in sequence Southeast to Northwest. …
The last of six photographs of sidings adjacent to the line to Outjo. [Google Maps, June 2025]
The next sequence of four photographs shows a passing loop on the line. In sequence, these photographs run from the Southeast to the Northwest. …
In 2005, a new 89 km section of Northern Railway from Tsumeb to Oshivelo was opened by President Sam Nujoma, as part of the “Northern Extension” of the railway link from Kranzberg to Otavi. Construction on the project’s second phase, a 59 km stretch from Ondangwa to Oshikango on the Angolan border at a cost of about N$329m, was scheduled to be completed by December 2007. Ondangwa Station opened in 2006 for freight.
In phase 3, a 58 km branch from Ondangwa to Oshakati was constructed at an estimated cost of N$220m, for completion in December 2008. For the future a connection from Oshikango to a point near Cassinga is planned on Angola’s southern railway system. [11][13][14]
The Ondangwa-Oshikango line was officially opened by President Hifikepunye Pohamba in July 2012. In order to keep the system operational and safe, provincial governor Usko Nghaamwa implored local residents to stop stealing railroad ties and sections of the wire fence. [11][15]
Otavi (junction for Grootfontein)
Tsumeb
Ondangwa (junction)
Oniipa (road bridge)
Onjdiva [11][14]
Namacunde [11][16]
Oshakati
Oshikango (Angolan border)
The C39 crossed the railway immediately to the North of Otavi Railway Station. as we have already noted, this view from the ungated crossing shows the branch to Grootfontein heading away to the right and the line North-northeast to Tsumeb heading for the distant hills. [Google Streetview, 2024]
The journey towards Tsumeb runs uneventfully over flat ground surrounded by shrub and small trees, heading North-northeast, until it reaches Ohorongo Cement Works.
An aerial view of the works can be found here. [48] That view looks North across the Works and shows the railway and a dedicated branch to the Works in the background.
Ohorongo Cement Works. [Google Maps, June 2025]The passing loop and access to the cement works’ private sidings. [Google Maps, June 2025]The dedicated siding can be seen leaving the main line at the Southwest end of the passing loop. [Google Maps, June 2025]The siding curves round along the Northeast side of the Works. [Google Maps, June 2025]The siding ends towards the Northeast corner of thecsite
The railway continues Northeast over largely unremarkable flat terrain, before turning East, encountering one arm of the B1 and then a triangular junction.
Encyclopedia Britannica tells us that “In 1851 Sir Francis Galton, a British explorer, made note of copper ore deposits in the vicinity of what later became the town of Tsumeb. An Anglo-German company acquired mining rights for the Tsumeb area in 1903. Southwest of Tsumeb is the site of the final German troop surrender to South African forces in World War I. The town remained a small copper-mining centre until the Tsumeb mine was purchased in 1947 by a largely U.S.-based corporation. It has since been developed as a planned company town (although ownership of the mine has changed hands several times), exploiting mineral deposits that include significant amounts of lead and copper as well as zinc, cadmium, silver, and germanium (a metalloid element used as a semiconductor). An integrated copper and lead smelter treats concentrates from Tsumeb and other mines. Owambo labourers are the chief contract workers.” [50]
The mine, owned by Dundee Precious Metals sits to the East of the B1.
The line to the North of Tsumeb left the triangular junction to the West of the town heading first to the West and then to the Northwest and then directly North alongside the D3007, before turning West-northwest again.
Looking Southeast from the B1 towards Tsumeb. [Google Streetview, 2022]Looking Northwest from the B1 along the line towards Omuthiya. [Google Streetview, 2022]The ungated crossing at the D3007. [Google Maps, June 2025]
After a few kilometres on a West-northwest heading, the line then turns to the North-northwest and runs parallel to the B1 for some considerable distance.
The B1 and the railway converge and head North-northwest. [Google Maps, June 2025]The line seen from the B1. [Google Streetview, 2022]The ungated crossing on the D3004. [Google Streetview, 2022]The view North-northwest along the line from the ungated crossing on the D3001. [Google Streetview, 2022]The line diverges from the B1 just to the South of the River Owambo. Both the railway and the road cross the river in this satellite image. [Google Maps, June 2025]Triangle on the South side of the D3610 at Oshivelo. [Google Maps, June 2025]Oshivelo Railway Station on the North side of the D3610. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking South East from an ungated crossing just to the Southeast of Omuthiya Railway Station. [Google Streetview, 2022]Looking Northwest from the same ungated crossing into the site of Omuthiya Railway Station. [Google Streetview, 2022]Omuthiya Railway Station. [Google Maps, June 2025]The line to the Northwest of the station, seen from the South. [Google Streetview, 2024]A short distance further up the line looking back towards Omuthiya. [Google Streetview, 2024]A little further Northwest again, this time looking North towards Ondangwa. [Google Streetview, 2024]Looking back towards Omuthiya from the ungated crossing on the D3603. [Google Streetview, 2024]At the same ungated crossing, this photograph is taken looking forward towards Ondangwa. [Google Streetview, 2024]Two culverts then take the line over the dry channel of the River Gwashigam. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking back Southeast from the bridge carrying the D3622 over the line on the approach to 0ndangwa. [Google Streetview, 2024]Looking Northwest from the same bridge towards Ondangwa. [Google Streetview, June 2025]Looking South-southeast from an ungated minor dirt road crossing closer to Ondangwa Railway Station. [Google Streetview, 2024]Looking West-northwest towards Ondangwa. [Google Streetview, 2024]Ondangwa Railway Station and turning triangle. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking South East from the B1 overbridge into the site of Ondangwa Railway Station. [Google Streetview, 2024]The view West from the same bridge across the turning triangle, the arm on the right leads to the line heading North towards the Angolan border. [Google Maps, June 2025]Fuel depots sit alongside the line as it heads North. [Google Maps, June 2025]Looking North from the bridge carrying the C45 over the railway which is now closing in on the railhead on the Angolan border. [Google Streetview, 2024]
The next three images are a sequence of North-facing photogra
The last photograph on the northern line is a satellite image showing the railhead
The railhead in Oshikango at the Namibia/Angola border. [Google Maps, June 2025]
References
Charles E. Lee; The Longest Narrow-Gauge Railway; in The Railway Magazine, February 1952, Tothill Press, Westminster, London, p121-123.
Helmut Schroeter; Die Eisenbahnen der ehemaligen deutschen Schutzgebiete Afrikas und ihre Fahrzeuge = Die Fahrzeuge der deutschen Eisenbahnen 7 [The Railways of the former German Protectorates in Africa and their Rolling Stock = the Rolling Stock of the German Railways 7]. (in German); Verkehrswissenschaftliche Lehrmittelgesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main, 1961.
Helmut Schroeter and Roel Ramaer; Die Eisenbahnen in den einst deutschen Schutzgebieten: Ostafrika, Südwestafrika, Kamerun, Togo und die Schantung-Eisenbahn: damals und heute [German colonial railways: East Africa, Southwest Africa, Cameroon, Togo and the Shantung Railway: then and now] (in German and in English); Röhr-Verlag, Krefeld, 1993.
Brenda Bravenboer and Walter Rusch; The First 100 Years of State Railways in Namibia; TransNamib Museum, Windhoek, 1997.
According to Schroeter; Bravenboer does not mention this line.
Frederic J. Shaw; Little Railways of the World; Howell-North, Berkeley, California, 1958.
Dick Andrews; Extra Narrow Gauge Junction: Otavi Ry., State Northern Ry. in South Africa [sic]; in Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette, Volume 16 No. 1, 1991, p63–66.
The Modern Tramway reported in December 1950 on the purchase by the Sudan Light & Power Company of the new 4-motor bogie tramcars. The bogies and equipment were being “supplied by the English Electric Company and the underframes and bodies by Charles Roberts and Company Ltd., under sub-contract to the English Electric Company. All motor tramcars and trailers [were to] be fitted with air brakes. As will be seen from the drawing reproduced, the body design [was] a pleasing example of modern British practice. The trailer cars [were] of similar outline.” [1: p270]
I published an article about the railways/tramways of Sudan in May 2022. That article can be found here. [7] This present article should be seen as an addendum to that article.
The image is embedded from Getty Images. It is a high-angle view of pedestrians, cars and an EEC tram &n trailer at the tram terminus in Omdurman, Sudan, circa 1955. The tramline connects Omdurman, on the west bank of the River Nile, with Khartoum. (Photo by Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images). [4]
The Modern Tramway continues:
“Electric tramway operation in Khartoum began on 16th January, 1928 when the line from Khartoum North to Omdurman via Khartoum and the White Nile Bridge was opened. The Khartoum Tramways were the first electric tramways in the Sudan and transport in the city and outskirts had been previously provided by two steam tramway lines, which were closed on the opening of the electric line.” [1: p270]
The Modern Tramway describes the electric tramway which replaced the steam-powered trams:
“The present rolling stock of the 3ft. 6 n. gauge Khartoum tramways consists of 16 single-truck motor trams, 15 4-wheel trailers, one 4-wheel electric locomotive and 30 goods trucks. All the stock was built by the English Electric Company Ltd. Four passenger services are operated, viz:
Khartoum Central Station Omdurman Central Station (5 miles).
Khartoum Central Station Khartoum North (3) miles).
Omdurman Central Station Abu Rouf (14 miles).
Circle (12 miles).” [1: p270]
“Headways are 18, 20, 20 and 30 minutes respectively. In addition a freight service is operated between Khartoum railway station and Omdurman. The main Iine begins at Khartoum North (where it made end on junction with a steam tramway to Shabat Reach, a service now operated by motor buses) and shortly turns south to cross the Blue Nile; on gaining the other bank, the line turns east, passing through the main part of Khartoum and running parallel to the Blue Nile. On this section there is the main depot and a large loop which runs round to the Central Station and the back of the city before turning north to rejoin the main line. At Mogren Point, the main line crosses the White Nile and immediately turns north towards Omdurman; this city stretches for 6 miles along the river and during the régime of the Mahdi it became the capital of his empire. The city is memorable for the battle fought outside its walls in 1898 between the followers of the Mahdi and the British. Some distance after turning north, there is another depot at Zaptia, on the western side of the line. At Omdurman Central Station the tramway turns east, back towards the river Nile, which it reaches at Abu Rouf, the final terminus. From this point, there is a ferry service to the terminus of the former steam tramway at Shabat Reach on the other side of the Nile. The tramways are all single-line-and-loop and there are several goods sidings. In 1948, 8,883,851 passengers were carried, whilst goods traffic averages 12,000 tons yearly.” [1: p270-271]
“At the time of the inauguration of the electric tramways it was thought that due to the very dry nature of the ground in Khartoum, satisfactory earth points could not be obtained for earthing the track for a track return system. It has since been established that it is possible to provide earth points, and the new trams will operate on the normal single overhead and track return system.” [1: p271]
The Modern Tramway acknowledged the help of the Sudan Light and Power Company Ltd., who provided the information on which these notes are based.
References
Modern British Tramcars for Khartoum; in The Modern Tramway Vol. 13 No. 156, London, December 1950, p270.
A report from The EastAfrican, 21st October 2024. [1]
On Monday 14th October 2024, Uganda signed a deal with Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi for the construction of the standard gauge railway (SGR) from Malaba to Kampala, after a 16-year wait.
When completed, the $2.9 billion-dollar electric rail project is expected to reduce transportation costs and increase the efficiency of the rail transport system in Uganda.
Construction of Uganda’s 273km SGR line, expected to be completed in four years, has started without a lender bankrolling the project, and authorities say it will be commissioned in the first week of November.
The EastAfrican has learnt that in this financial year, the SGR was allocated $40.8 million for compensation of project-affected persons. Canon Perez Wamburu, coordinator of Uganda’s SGR Unit, said the total budget is close to $49 million.
The Finance ministry has identified American lender Citi Bank to syndicate a loan of about $3 billion.
Uganda is under pressure from Tanzania and Kenya, which have SGR systems, to build its section to facilitate a synchronised regional rail network. Kenya is also working on extending its SGR line from Naivasha to Kisumu and on to Malaba.
“The two systems will be connected and will be seamless. We support our Kenyan friends in doing that. And the timelines agreed on with the Kenya brothers will be met,” said Gen Katumba Wamala, Uganda’s Works and Transport minister.
He explained that the two countries agreed that by the time the Malaba-Kampala SGR section reaches Kampala, the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba section will also be ready.
Uganda plans to develop 1,700km of SGR network covering Tororo to Gulu and Nimule at the South Sudan border, with a spur from Gulu to Pakwach and Vurra at the Democratic Republic of Congo border.
A western line will run from Kampala to Bihanga and Kasese-Mpondwe at the DR Congo border, with a spur southward from Bihanga to Mirama Hills at the Uganda-Rwanda border and another to Muko, Kabale.
Wikipedia tells us that the Ugandan SGR network will be part of a much wider SGR rail network in East Africa:
“The Uganda Standard Gauge Railway is a planned railway system linking the country to the neighboring countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, as part of the East African Railway Master Plan. The new Standard-gauge railway (SGR), is intended to replace the old, inefficient metre-gauge railway system. The entire 1,724 kilometres (1,071 mi) SGR in Uganda will cost an estimated $12.8 billion.” [3]
“This 1435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) railway line is intended to ease the transfer of goods between the port of Mombasa and the Ugandan capital of Kampala, and subsequently to Kigali in Rwanda, and to Beni in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to Nimule and Juba in South Sudan. Goods would travel from Mombasa along the Kenya Standard Gauge Railway to Malaba, at the border with Uganda, and transfer on to this railway system.” [2]
“In March 2019, during a state visit to Kenya, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and his host, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, jointly publicly committed to extend the Kenyan Standard Gauge Railway to Uganda. Completing the critical missing link to the Kenyan SGR would then unlock the funding for Uganda’s Malaba–Kampala line. As of October 2023, the Naivasha–Malaba section of Kenya’s SGR has not been constructed.” [2] It seems that, in October 2024, a renewed commitment has been made to complete the SGR to the border with Uganda.
In Uganda the SGR network will consist of four main sections:
“Malaba–Kampala Section
Also referred to as the Eastern Line, this section will stretch from the border with Kenya at Malaba, through Tororo and Jinja, to end at Kampala. The distance of this section is approximately 219 kilometres (136 mi).[5] The entire Malaba–Kampala section, measuring 273 kilometres (170 mi) with associated train stations and railway yards, is budgeted to cost US$2.3 billion. Once funding is secured, the construction of the Eastern Line is expected to last 42 months.
Tororo–Gulu Section
Also referred to as the Northern Line, this section will extend from Tororo, through Mbale and Lira to Gulu, a distance of approximately 367 kilometres (228 mi). From Gulu, one spur will continue north to Elegu and on to Nimule and Juba in South Sudan. The section in Uganda measures approximately 106 kilometres (66 mi). Another extension stretches from Gulu southwestwards through Pakwach to end at Goli at the Border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a distance of approximately 187 kilometres (116 mi).
Kampala–Mpondwe Section
This is referred to as the Western Line. It will start in Kampala and pass through Bihanga in Ibanda District, continuing on to Mpondwe at the border with DR Congo, a distance of about 430 kilometres (267 mi).
Bihanga–Mirama Hills Section
This is also referred to as the Southwestern Line. It will stretch from Bihanga through Ibanda and Mbarara to end at Mirama Hills, at the border with Rwanda, a distance of about 191 kilometres (119 mi).” [2]
The Wikipedia article continues:
“The construction was expected to be financed by the government of Uganda, using borrowed money from the Exim Bank of China. However, the lender has been unwilling to approve the loan until Kenya finalizes the funding arrangement for the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba section of its SGR.
In January 2023, the Ugandan government terminated the contract that it had signed with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to build the Kampala–Malaba section of the Ugandan SGR, on account of ‘failure to execute’ for eight consecutive years.
In May 2023, the government identified Yapı Merkezi Group from Turkey as the new engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor. Funding is expected to be sourced from European banks. Works are expected to commence in 2024 starting with the 273 kilometres (170 mi) Kampala–Malaba section. The funding bank was later identified as Standard Chartered Plc of the United Kingdom.
In July 2023, the Ugandan and Kenyan cabinet ministers of transportation met in Mombasa. The communique issued at the end of the two-day consultations announced that going forward, the two countries will jointly explore funding sourcing for the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba portion of the Kenya Standard Gauge Railway. Together, the two countries are seeking at least $6 billion in new funding for their SGR projects from financiers in Europe and the Middle East.
In February 2024, both countries reaffirmed their commitments to build the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba section in Kenya and the Malaba-Kampala section in Uganda, starting in 2024. The Ugandan government has contracted the Yapı Merkezi Group from Turkey to build the 273 kilometres (170 mi) section between Malaba and Kampala at a contract price of US$2.9 billion. Work was expected to start in August 2024. As of August 2024, the Uganda government was working on finalizing the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) documentation and obtaining approvals from relevant government bureaucrats. The construction distance from Malaba to Kampala is now reported as 332 kilometres (206 mi). Construction is expected to begin in [late] 2024.
On 14th October 2024, the government of Uganda signed the EPC documents with Yapı Merkezi to build the Malaba-Kampala section of the Uganda Standard Gauge Railway at a contract price of €2.7 billion (approx. USh10.8 trillion). Construction is expected to take four years and conclude in [late] 2028.” [2]
The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation that promotes and appreciation of culture as vital for human development that responds to our diverse identities, with support from the European Union and SOGEA SATOM and the Uganda Railways Corporation established the Uganda Railway Museum. [4]
The museum highlights the important role that railways played in Uganda’s history and nation building. It is located along the Jinja-Iganga Highway at the Railway Station in Jinja City. It offers a varied programme that includes heritage theme nights, exploring a locomotive and coach, film recollections/stories, guided tours and access to a cafeteria. Part of the museum has been designed with young people in mind to support their learning and appreciation of Uganda’s history.
Welcome to Uganda’s Railways Museum! This image was posted on the Museum’s Facebook Page on 17th September 2024. [11]
The Museum’s formal opening ceremony took place in March 2022. It is now open for public visits every Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00am – 6:00pm at 5000 Ugandan shillings for adults and 2000 shillings for children.
While there are ongoing government efforts to revamp the railway transport with the rehabilitation of the northern line and the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway. The establishment of the railway museum complements the government of Uganda’s efforts to highlight the importance of railway transport by reinvigorating its interest among Ugandans.
B. Ugandan Old Railway Line Rehabilitation on Track
In January 2024, The EastAfrican reported that Uganda’s planned overhaul of the metre gauge railway to cut transport costs on the Northern Corridor and improve trade competitiveness had entered its final stages, even as the country faced a shortage of equipment, wagons, and trains.
The EastAfrican reported in January 2024 that Spanish firm Imathia Construction had completed replacing steel sleepers with concrete sleepers on the Namanve-Kampala section of the line, which was handed over to the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) at the beginning of 2024. The contractor then embarked on the final section, Namanve-Mukono.
This would be the second section of the track to be completed after rehabilitation of the Tororo-Namanve line, including the line to Jinja Pier, which was completed a year ago.
While the Malaba-Namanve metre gauge track is now in fair condition, importers, exporters, and shippers remain sceptical about switching to rail, citing a shortage of rolling stock and inefficiency, which has resulted in 90 percent of traffic on the Northern Corridor being carried by road and only about seven percent is carried by rail because of the poor state of rail infrastructure. [5]
Uganda’s General Motors GL30 Locomotives
C. Restoring Uganda’s Railways: The Long Road Ahead.
Rothschild Jobi; Restoring Uganda’s Railways: The Long Road Ahead; in Infrastructure, Travel and Tourism, Uganda, 9th August 2024. [10]
“The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) is now focusing on restoring railway infrastructure in up-country areas, a step taken months after the successful resumption of limited passenger services on the Kampala-Mukono route. This move comes as part of an effort to address the deteriorating state of the country’s railway system.
Table: Status of Uganda’s main railway lines in August 2024.
In April, the Kampala-Mukono route was reopened, offering passengers a 40-minute journey from Namanve to Kampala in the morning, with a return trip available in the evening. This was seen as a positive development, but it also highlighted the need for broader improvements across the railway network.
URC’s Head of Communications, Mr. John Linnon Sengendo, stated in an interview on Monday that the focus is now shifting to the up-country lines. He emphasized that the aim is to complete the railway network by restoring these lines, which have suffered from neglect over the years.
One such line is the Pakwach railway, which was originally constructed in 1964. It played a crucial role in transporting goods and passengers from Nebbi District. However, by the 1980s, the line fell into disrepair. Despite plans announced in 2005 to repair the Gulu-Pakwach line, it remains overgrown with vegetation, and the infrastructure has deteriorated significantly.
Mr. Daudi Onencan, a 68-year-old farmer in Pakwach, reminisced about the line’s past significance. He noted that the railway provided a cost-effective way for farmers to transport goods to markets in distant districts.
Pakwach District Chairperson, Mr. Robert Omito Steen, highlighted ongoing efforts to revive the railway line due to its importance for transporting bulky goods. Discussions with various line ministries have been ongoing, with the hope that these efforts will lead to the line’s restoration.
In 2016, feasibility studies and bush clearance were carried out to assess the state of the railway lines. These efforts raised hopes for the line’s revival, but the overgrowth has since returned.
Mr. Sengendo mentioned that the study results will inform the government’s next steps. He noted that the Ministry of Works and Transport has sanctioned a company to undertake the study, and the restoration of the railway line is a key objective. The broader SGR (Standard Gauge Railway) project also includes the Tororo-Gulu-Pakwach line.
In Mityana District, residents in several villages are resisting eviction from the railway reserve despite numerous warnings. The railway reserve, now occupied by residential and commercial buildings and gardens, faces challenges as some residents claim they unknowingly purchased land in the reserve from individuals who have since relocated.
Mr. Ssande Kafunda, Chairperson of Bbuye Village, reported that affected residents are seeking advice on how to handle the situation, as they were misled about the land’s status.
Mityana municipal mayor, Mr. Faustine Mukambwe, supports the railway rehabilitation and believes it will boost local development. He urged residents to embrace the project and mentioned that the municipal council is exploring new land for constructing a new abattoir, as the current one is situated in the railway reserve.
In 2014, over 80,000 encroachers on railway reserves in various areas were given 28 days to vacate to allow for railway transport revitalization. Despite these orders, many encroachers remain, although some have relocated.
Progress is being made on the Tororo-Gulu line, with rehabilitation efforts underway. The previously non-existent track is now being upgraded with new tracks, improved drainage systems, and enhanced level crossings.
Regarding the Eastern route, Mr. Sengendo indicated that there are no immediate plans to work on this line but assured that the public will be informed if the need for restoration arises.
Mr. Sengendo also mentioned that the government, through URC, is committed to enhancing both land and water railway infrastructure to improve service for Ugandans. The aim is to reduce transportation costs for both exports and imports, thereby lowering prices for goods and increasing export earnings.
Passenger services are nearing completion on the Kampala-Mukono route, which is expected to be fully operational by September. Work will soon commence on the Kampala-Kyengera and Port Bell routes, funded by the African Development Bank.
For cargo transport, new locomotives and wagons are being acquired to support the expanding network. Plans include procuring multipurpose wagon ferries for routes between Kisumu and Mwanza. The goal is to have both the Metre Gauge Railway and Standard Gauge Railway networks complement each other, as part of the East African Community’s efforts to improve the railway system.
In the Teso Sub-region, Kumi Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Ahamada Washaki, stressed the importance of rehabilitating the railway line. However, much of the railway line in Teso remains vandalized, with key stations deserted. URC’s Mr. Sengendo explained that the line has been non-operational for over 30 years, contributing to its current state. Rehabilitation work by China Road and Bridge Corporation is ongoing on a 375km stretch, with completion expected in two years.” [10]
Uganda Railways Corporation locomotive. [13]
D. Uganda Railways Projects to be Implemented in the Financial Year 2024/2025.
On 21st June 2024, infrastructure.go.ug [6] reported that the Ugandan government was working on their objective of reducing the cost of doing business in Uganda by making improvements to the rail network.
They note the then imminent completion of the Kampala-Namanve project. They highlight ongoing work on the line between Tororo & Gulu, funded entirely by the Ugandan government. They talk of work on the African Development Bank project, which will address some of the unfinished portions of the Kampala-Malaba route. They mention work on the route between Port Bell and Kyengera in Kampala and plans for the acquisition of better passenger carriages and locomotives.
URC board technical committee chairperson, Andrew Muguluma commented in an interview with New Vision that, “Even though Uganda is developing its standard gauge railway at a different pace than other countries, … the country is catching up to the current infrastructure.” [6]
The article on infrastructure.go.ug’s website continues:
“The government has made significant investments in the rail industry, according to Leonard Kerezya, senior principal auditor in the Office of Auditor General, who urged URC top management to conduct engineering audits in order to address risks.n … KAccording to him, due to inadequate infrastructure driving up transportation costs along the northern corridor (the Malaba-Kampala rail line), only 7% of traffic in Uganda travels by rail. This means that over 90% of traffic in Uganda moves by road.” [6]
“The government committed to building a multimodal transportation infrastructure as part of NDP III (FY2020–2025) in order to increase the nation’s competitiveness through investments in better and more affordable transportation.” [6]
In respect of the SGR, they say:
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and other partner states of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) decided last month (May 2024) to pool resources to expedite the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project’s development. … The Joint Ministerial Committee on SGR met in Mombasa, Kenya, and decided to take this action. … The transportation ministers restated their determination to finish the remaining SGR portions as soon as possible, from Kenya’s Naivasha to Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” [6]
“Kenya pledged to restart building on the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba and Kisumu-Malaba SGR sections, respectively, beginning in July and September of 2024. … Subject to the availability of resources, Uganda is also anticipated to begin building on Malaba-Kamppala in September. The country is currently nearing the conclusion of discussions with Yapi Merkezi, the prospective contractor.” [6] An agreement which, in October 2024, now appears to be in place.
URC is a business entity that answers to the Ministry of Transportation and Works. It was founded to carry out railway, marine, and road services for the carriage of goods and passengers both inside and outside of Uganda, as required by the Uganda Railways Corporation Act, Cap 331. URC’s network of tracks spans 1,266 kilometers in total.
E. Uganda Railways Brochure
Uganda Railways Corporation has produced a glossy 4 page .pdf brochure. [7]
F. A Journey on Kampala’s Newly Reopened Commuter Train
By Kabona Esiara, Correspondent in Kampala, Uganda Nation Media Group [8]
“Five O’clock found me at the station ready for the 5.30pm train, which leaves Kampala city heading eastwards to Namanve, 16 kilometres away.
The Kampala train station, established in the 1920s, hosts the offices, service centre, and waiting and boarding areas, and has worked as the main office for passenger and cargo trains over the years.
Located in the central business district convenient for departing and incoming goods and passengers the station has recently become a beehive of activity after the return of the train.
Booking for tickets is done here. Mornings and evenings are busy, as dozens of passengers throng the station to get a trip worth Ush2,000 ($0.52), much cheaper than the fare of the commuter taxis for the same journey, which is Ush4,000 ($1.05) or more.
On the day I took the train, the line was long and the ticketing officers were picking out people who had smaller denominations of the Ugandan currency – 1,000; 2000 and 5,000 leaving those with big ones to wait.
As 5.30pm approached, the train hooted, sending an echoing sound into the city and signalling the start of the journey. The people in the queue rushed in to find seats.
Inside the coach, the once-tattered seats are now covered in brown leather and thin-inch sponge cushions making them more comfortable than the metal seats of the past.
The fans mounted above the dash of the coaches have been fixed, sending fresh air circulating and improving travellers’ experience. Before they were fixed, a frequent rider on the train says the heat in the coaches was unbearable.
The old, five-coach train snaked through Nakawa, Kireka, Namboole and terminated at Namanve.
For the 16km ride to Namanve, the train spent only 45 minutes, a huge difference from an average of two hours that vehicles, especially public commuter taxis, spend from the CBD to Kazinga near Namanve.
However, Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) is operating old rolling stock, and most of it is in disuse.
There are only five coaches to transport passengers in a city of four million people.
In order not to miss the train, many passengers reach the station early, some by 5.00am for the morning trip and 4.00pm to catch the train that departs at 5.30pm for the evening return journey.
With the market yearning for train services and Kampala struggling to achieve its ambitious plan to shift 20% of the freight and passenger bases to rail, Paul Power, a transport sector commentator based in Kampala, says the city needs $200 million to invest in rail passenger transport.
The money will be pumped into buying rolling stock, constructing stations and improving the safety and security of the railway system in the Kampala commuter railway networks.
‘My understanding is that at least 20% of the market share for rail transport is needed to make the planned standard gauge railway project viable and bankable. I don’t know the latest cost estimate, but I have heard anything from $3 billion to over $12 billion, with electrification’, Mr Power said.
He, however, noted that achieving a 20% market share for railway transport would be challenging, as currently rail transport on the metre gauge railway is less than one per cent of the freight transport market, and passenger services resumed on 1st May 2024, after almost a one year of absence due to track rehabilitation.
‘The rolling stock needed to transport 20 percent of the freight and passenger markets by rail is enormous’, he said.
The government has also to come up with deliberate policies to encourage private investment in the railway to achieve the significant shift from road to rail transport, some of which include subsidies, enforcement of tighter road weight restrictions, restrictions on the type of goods that can be transported on roads.
Uganda’s railway sector is described as not well organised. There is no safety regulator. Laws need to be updated, and there is no sustainable funding model for implementing a modern rail transport system.
According to Power, in Uganda, a strategic direction for the sector is missing, sector targets and objectives need to be defined, and a need to separate infrastructure management from train operations and safety regulation.
‘These challenges are mostly ‘soft.’ Institutional and private investors need clarity on the ‘operating environment’ – that is, rules – before significant investor interest can be mobilised’, he explained.
Uganda’s plan to grow rail freight and passenger traffic got a boost recently, when Italian investors, led by Ambassador Mauro Massoni, expressed interest in constructing a 64km railway line from Tororo to Majanji.
This alternative route on the Northern Corridor is meant to reduce congestion and increase efficiency in the region’s transportation network, as it links to water, railways, and roads.
The planned investment complements the SGR linking Kenya to Kampala, whose construction works are yet to begin. The details of the investment in the proposed route, funding, and implementation timelines have not been made public.
President Yoweri Museveni welcomed the proposal, highlighting the potential for the railway line to cater to traffic from northern Uganda and neighbouring countries, bypassing Kampala.
‘That traffic doesn’t have to come to Kampala. It can go straight either to Kenya or to Tanzania’, the President said, emphasising the project’s strategic importance.
The Italian investors also proposed establishing an academy to train Ugandans in cutting-edge railway construction and maintenance technology, ensuring skills transfer and job creation for the local workforce.
But, amid the challenges, signs that URC is fighting for a piece of the big commuter transport market share are clear. Lately, the train and coaches have been repainted.
Margret Nantume, one of the frequent users of the commuter train, said many people have not embraced the train because of the cost.
‘While I use the train to escape the daily traffic gridlock on the Kampala-Jinja highway, the increase in the train ticket from Ush1,000 ($0.26) to Ush2,000 ($0.52) for every stop is discouraging passengers’, she said.
‘Many people are opting for taxis and boda boda, which are flexible in pricing and charge fares per stop, while others walk to their destinations’.
Recently, URC acting managing director David Musoke Bulega revised the fares upwards to hedge his ticket sale revenues against fuel costs.
The train stops are located at far distances from the main road, which inconveniences passengers and adds to the transport costs to their destinations.
Passengers who live in Seeta and Mukono incur an additional Ush2000 ($0.52) to reach their destinations by taxi, in addition to the train ticket of the same amount, bringing the total to Ush4,000 ($1.05).
Besides, they have to walk 500 metres from the Namanve railway station to the nearest taxi stage.
The walk-to-work measure many households in Uganda have adopted to reduce pressure on their home budgets is also contributing to the reduced number of passengers travelling by train.
When the train stops at Namanve railway station, factory employees in Kampala’s Business and Industrial Park walk for either night shifts or to their homes. A 2021 study commissioned by Friedrich-Elbert-Stifting says 50 percent of workers in Uganda walk to and from work.
But John Leon Sengendo, URC publicist, says every inch of the train coach will be occupied in the coming days, when schools open for the second term.
He also expects passengers who opted for other transport modes to return and new ones recruited, especially when the Namanve-Kyetume line is completed in August [2024].
The Namanve-Mukono section will be the third track to be completed, after the rehabilitation of the Tororo-Namanve line, including the line to Jinja Pier, which was completed two years ago. The Namanve-Kampala section, which was handed over in January this year, was the second to be completed by Spanish firm Imathia Construction, after replacing steel sleepers with concrete beams.
After Uganda Transport Company, a public passenger transportation firm, folded in the 1980s, Kampala was plunged into a disorganised and unreliable transport service run by unprofessional private players.
The government, under pressure to reduce traffic gridlocks, is betting on an efficient railway system to address this challenge. A 2017 World Bank study estimated that traffic jams cost Uganda more than $800 million annually in lost productivity, wasted fuel and increased emissions.
The ultimate plan of URC is to extend passenger services to Mukono, Kyengera, and Port Bell Kampala.
‘We want to alleviate the problem and stress people face with road transport. Our roads are still highly congested, and people spend a lot of time in traffic jams for short distances. With the train service, it will be far smoother and faster. It is a worthwhile endeavour’, said Minister of Works and Transport Katumba Wamala. [8]
F. Uganda Railways Rules Out Electric Locomotives For Now
URN – 24th October 2024. [9]
“The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has no immediate plans to deploy electric trains, despite growing calls for a more modern railway system.
Instead, the focus remains on restoring the existing rail network and expanding services, particularly with diesel-powered trains, as part of the country’s railway revitalization strategy according to John Lennon Sengendo, URC’s senior public relations and communications officer.
URC recently completed upgrades on the Kampala-Mukono Meter Gauge Railway (MGR), primarily catering to passenger services. Plans are underway to introduce cargo services soon, while ongoing projects, including the Tororo-Gulu line, aim to enhance the rail system across key regions like Mbale, Kumi, Soroti, and Lira, culminating at the Gulu Logistics Hub.
Additionally, there is significant progress toward the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line between Kampala and Malaba, which will eventually extend to borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
Unlike the planned SGR project, which will be electric, all upgrades on the MGR will continue using diesel-powered trains. According to URC, procurement is underway for diesel multiple units (DMUs), which are trains powered by onboard diesel engines and do not require a separate locomotive.
This decision has sparked debate, particularly as Uganda now generates electricity far beyond current demand. Many question why the country isn’t transitioning to electric trains, given its increased electricity capacity.
“For the improvements we are doing on the MGR network, specifically for the passenger service component, there will not be electrification, at least for now. Electrification will be purely on the SGR,” said Sengendo.
He emphasized that DMUs and electric multiple units (EMUs) are the same. The only difference is that one is electric and the other is Diesel,” he says, adding that the DMUs to be deployed will be able to move at speeds of 120 kilometres per hour, “which is relatively good.”
Furthermore, Sengendo pointed out that cost is a major factor behind the preference for DMUs. While Uganda has abundant electricity, the infrastructure needed for electrification is expensive. “A lot of work and money goes into the installation of the infrastructure, which may not make sense to do on the MGR, yet the government is constructing an SGR, which will be electric,” he explained.
Uganda plans to incorporate feedback from citizens to ensure the DMUs offer both comfort and efficiency, with the manufacturer tailoring them to the country’s specific requirements.
A potential challenge to seamless rail transport across the region lies in Kenya’s SGR, which remains diesel-powered. This could hinder smooth operations between Mombasa and Kampala. Sengendo, however, expressed optimism that by the time Uganda’s SGR is complete, the two countries will have aligned their strategies, possibly considering hybrid rolling stock that can operate on both diesel and electric tracks if Kenya doesn’t electrify its SGR.
Many countries worldwide continue to use DMUs, including the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan, and several European nations like Germany, Belgium, and Russia. Recent technological advancements have produced diesel-hydraulic engines, which can alternate between diesel and hydraulic power, reducing emissions, noise, and fuel consumption.
Experts note that DMUs offer more flexibility since they can run on electrified tracks, whereas electric trains can only operate on dedicated electric railways. While electrified systems may prove more cost-effective in the long run – typically after about 30 years, depending on electricity costs – DMUs remain a practical and affordable solution for Uganda’s immediate rail needs.” [9]
The 950mm-gauge line from Massawa on the coast, inland to Agordot, was built during colonial occupation by the Italians with some steep gradients which meant that Mallets were considered to be suitable motive power.
The line should not be confused with the metre-gauge line running from Djibouti to Addis Ababa. A metre-gauge railway that was originally built by the French from 1894 to 1917 which has since been replaced by a Chinese built standard-gauge line. [5]
In 1907, Maffei built three 0-4-4-0T locomotives for the Massawa to Agerdot line.
Ansaldo the “supplied twenty five further engines of the same class between 1911 and 1915, and in 1931 and 1939 Asmara shops assembled a nominal three new engines from d components of earlier withdrawn engines. All these were standard European narrow-gauge Mallet tanks, saturated, slide-valved and with inside frames.” [1: p64]
In the mid-1930s, a series of fifteen larger 0-4-4-0T locomotives were built. These were “built to a superheated, simple expansion design, of which ten had piston valves and Walschearts gear and the other five, Caprotti poppet valves driven from outside cardan shafts.” [1: p65] A later series of “eight engines built by Analdo in 1938 reverted to compound expansion, retaining the superheater and piston valve features.” [1: p65]
The last of the Eritrean Mallets was built in their own shops in 1963, making it the last Mallet built in the world. [6]
The line closed in 1975. Eritrea was occupied by Ethiopia for many years. After gaining independence in 1993, some of the former railway staff started to rebuild their totally destroyed railway. Some of the Mallets, built by Ansaldo (Italy) in 1938, were brought back to life. Also one of the small Breda built shunters, two diesel locos and two diesel railcars (one from 1935) were put back into working order. [7]
A section of the line, between Massawa, on the coast, and Asmara, was reopened in 2003 and has offered an opportunity for Mallet locomotives to be seen in operation in East Africa. Indeed, an internet search using Google brings to light a list of videos of locomotives heading tourist trains in the Eritrean landscape.
Wikipedia notes that the line has a track-gauge of 950mm and that locomotives operate over a 118 km section of the old line. Italian law from 1879 officially determined track gauges, specifying the use of 1,500 mm (4 ft 11 1⁄16 in) and 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge track measured from the centre of the rails, or 1,445 mm (4 ft 8 7⁄8 in) and 950 mm (3 ft 1 3⁄8 in), respectively, on the inside faces. [4]
Between Arbaroba and Asmara in November 2008, a single coach is headed by one of the surviving Mallet locomotives. This is an extract from an image on Wikimedia Commons (public domain). [13]
Steam operation on the line is over, no regular services are provided but occasional tours still take place with plenty of caveats about the availability of any form of propulsion. An example is a German-speaking tour planned (as of 24th March 2024) for November 2024. [8]
Tanzania (Tanganyika)
The metre-gauge line inland from Dar-es-Salaam was built by the Ost Afrika Eisenbahn Gesellschaft (East African Railway Co.). A.E. Durrant tells us that its first main line power “was a class of typical German lokalbahn 0-4-4-0T Mallets, built by Henschel in 1905-7. These were supplemented in 1908 by four larger 2-4-4-0Ts from the same builder, after which the railway turned to straight eight-coupled tank and tender engines.” [1: p67]
R. Ramaer notes that the first locomotives used by the Usambara Eissenbahn (UE) on the Tanga Line were five 0-4-2 locos which arrived on the line in 1893. Rising traffic loads led the UE “To look for something more substantial and in 1900, Jung supplied five compound Mallet 0-4-4-0T’s as numbers 1-5, later renumbered 6-10. … To provide enough space for the firebox and ashpan, the rigid high-pressure part, comprising the third and fourth axles, had outside frames, whereas the low-pressure part had inside frames.” [9: p19]
UE engine No. 1 (0-4-4-0T – supplied by Jung) with an early passenger train ready for departure at Tanga station in 1890. This image was posted on the Urithi Tanga Museum Facebook Page [10] and is also reproduced in R. Ramaer’s book. [9: p19]UE Mallet 0-4-4-0T No. 8 heading a passenger train at Mombo. This image was shared in error on the Old Asmara Eritrea Facebook Page. [11] It also appears in R. Ramaer’s book. [9: p20]
On the Central Line (Ost Afrikanische Eisenbahn Gesellschaft – or OAEG) which ran inland from Dar-es-Salaam, construction work started in 1905 and the first locomotives used by the OAEG were four 0-4-0T engines built by Henschel, a further four of these locomotives were supplied in 1909. These small engines had a surprisingly long life. Mallets were first supplied in 1905 by Henschel and were suitable for both coal and oil firing. These were 0-4-4-0T locos (four supplied in 1905 and one supplied in 1907). “The problem with this type of engine was the restricted tractive effort and running was not satisfactory because of the lack of a leading pony truck. … Therefore Henschel supplied a second batch of four locomotives in 1908 as 2-4-4-0Ts with larger boilers and cylinders. They also had a higher working pressure of 14 atmospheres (200lb/sq in) in comparison to 12 atmospheres (170lb/sq in) for the earlier engines, while the bunker capacity had been increased from 1.2 to 2.2 tonnes of coal. (Oil fuel had been discarded).” [9: p21-23]
OAEG 2-4-4-0T No. 27, in the last Mallet class to be built for German East Africa. This locomotive appears in the Wikipedia list of Henschel steam locomotives. [12] It also appears in R. Ramaer’s book [9: p23] and A.E. Durrant’s book. [1: p66]
Kenya-Uganda
An ‘MT’ class locomotive in ex-Works condition at the Queen’s Park works of the North British Locomotive Co. [1: p66]
Mallets were the first articulated locomotives to operate in East Africa. Mallets were introduced on the Uganda Railway in 1913. A.E. Durrant notes that they consisted of “a batch of eighteen 0-6-6-0 compound Mallets to what was the North British Locomotive Co’s standard metre-gauge design, as supplied also to India, Burma, and Spain. They had wide Belpaire fireboxes, inside frames and piston valves for the high pressure cylinders only. Built at Queens Park works in 1912-1913, these locomotives entered service in 1913-14 and remained at work until 1929-30, when they were replaced by the EC2 and EC2 Garratts.” [1: p66]
North British Class ‘MT’ Mallets arrived in Kenya just before the start of WW1. [2]
These locomotives were given the classification ‘MT’ within the Uganda Railway fleet. Disappointing performance and high maintenance costs led to them being relegated to secondary duties and eventually being scrapped in the late 1920s as the Beyer Garratt locomotives began to arrive. [2] Their presence on the system was heralded by, “Railway Wonders of the World,” with the picture shown below. [3]
An ‘MT’ class Uganda Railway locomotive as illustrated in ‘Railway Wonders of the World’. [3]
References
A.E. Durrant; The Mallet Locomotive; David & Charles, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1974.
Kevin Patience; Steam in East Africa; Heinemann Educational Books (E.A.) Ltd., Nairobi, 1976.
Uganda has begun restoring a disused branch of a railway line built under the British Empire, which it hopes will offer a cheaper way to transport goods to neighbouring countries. … Work has begun to restore nearly 400 kilometres of the tracks between Tororo in eastern Uganda, near the border with Kenya, and Gulu in the north, near South Sudan.
“Our ambition is to move all long-distance bulk cargo transportation onto rail from roads in a few years because rail is cheaper in terms of cost and time,” a spokesperson for for state-run Uganda Railways Corporation, John Linnon Sengendo, told Reuters news agency.
Uganda decided to revamp the old network after plans to build a separate, modern line failed to secure funding from China.
The government cancelled its contract with a Chinese firm earlier this year and is now seeking a new contractor for the project, which would see the construction of a standard gauge railway linking the Ugandan capital Kampala to the Kenyan border, where it would join up with Kenya’s modern lines.
Another Chinese contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation, will repair the old line over two years at a cost of 200 billion shillings (50.6 million euros) to the Ugandan government, Sengendo said.
Uganda’s railway network fell into disrepair during the country’s economic collapse in 1970s and early ’80s.
Ugandan officials hope once the link is restored, rail will replace trucks in shipping transit goods to South Sudan and north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Under its East African Railway Master Plan, the East African Community regional bloc is aiming to revive lines serving Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and extend them to Rwanda and Burundi. Ultimately it hopes to add South Sudan and Ethiopia to the network too.
A recently relaid section of metre-gauge track in Kampala, (c) Sylvia Katushabe
Uganda’s planned overhaul of the metre gauge railway to cut transport costs on the Northern Corridor and improve trade competitiveness has entered its final stages, even as the country faces a shortage of equipment, wagons, and trains.
The EastAfrican has learnt [that] Spanish firm Imathia Construction has completed replacing steel sleepers with concrete beams on the Namanve-Kampala section of the line, which is expected to be handed over this month, Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) publicist John Lenon Sengendo said, adding that the contractor will then embark on the final section, Namanve-Mukono.
This will be the second section of the track to be completed after rehabilitation of the Tororo-Namanve line, including the line to Jinja Pier, which was completed a year ago. While the Malaba-Namanve metre gauge track is now in fair condition, importers, exporters, and shippers remain sceptical about switching to rail, citing a shortage of rolling stock and inefficiency, which has resulted in 90 percent of traffic on the Northern Corridor being carried by road and only about seven percent is carried by rail because of the poor state of rail infrastructure.
As a result, transport costs are comparatively high on the Northern Corridor, ranging from 20 cents to 25 cents per tonne per kilometre for road transport, while the cost for rail transport ranges from US cents 6 to US cent 12 per tonne per kilometre, depending on the type of cargo.
The shortage of rolling stock is partly blamed on URC. A June 2022 Uganda’s Auditor General after reviewing URC’s asset register, had 521 wagons located in different parts of Kenya.
But only 128 wagons exist, leaving a balance of 393 wagons unaccounted for, raising fears of a possibility of URC overstating its asset values in the financial statements.
[A] URC accounting officer explained that “there were many wagons left in Kenya by RVR (U) Ltd upon concession termination. A repatriation exercise to return these assets to Uganda commenced in July 2021 and by December 2021, a total of 243 wagons had been brought back.”
Under this project, Uganda is to buy 3,000 horsepower locomotives by 2026. The number of Uganda government-owned wagon ferries is also expected to increase from the current two to four, a development set to help URC meet the growing traffic demand on Lake Victoria.
The other financiers are the African Development Bank, which will provide $233.2 million, and the African Development Fund to provide $100.7 million – both concessional loans to finance the construction and purchase of rolling stock, which includes locomotives, wagons and coaches.
URC’s target is to move cargo from road to rail, and we expect to be moving six million tonnes a year.
In its efforts to revamp the metre gauge railway, Uganda is also reviving the route from Tororo in Eastern Uganda to Gulu City in the north. The line is currently under construction. Significantly, the city also hosts the Gulu Logistics Hub, whose phase one is also under construction. … The hub – which will be rail-linked – was planned as a strategic location connecting to the growing markets of Congo and South Sudan.
Kenyan government to spend $731m on new trains, SGR revamp
An SGR cargo train at the Naivasha Inland Container Depot in Kenya. Kenya’s National Treasury report shows Transport ministry will receive $714.7 million for the “Development of Standard Gauge Railway” between July this year and June 2026. [2]
The government of Kenya has stepped up expenditure on the Nairobi-Mombasa standard gauge railway (SGR) with a plan to hit Ksh100 billion ($731.53 million) in the next three years to revamp the line, build new sidings and buy more locomotives and cargo wagons.
A report by Kenya’s National Treasury shows that the country’s Transport ministry will receive an additional Ksh97.7 billion ($714.7 million) for the “Development of Standard Gauge Railway” between July this year and June 2026.
This reverses a trend where the previous government had cut allocations to the SGR and will push the spending related to this line beyond KSh780 billion ($5.7 billion) by June 2026.
Beginning July, the Kenyan government has allocated Ksh37.4 billion ($275.79 million) from the Railway Development Levy Fund (RDLF) for the Nairobi-Mombasa SGR.
A Mombasa-bound SGR passenger train on the extended viaduct in the ‘Maneaters Area’. The line is set at high level to allow the safe passage of wildlife, (c) Wachira Mwangi. [2]
The bulk of the allocation, according to the breakdown shared with the Business Daily from transport, has been earmarked for the acquisition of additional locomotives and freight wagons at a cost of Ksh11.9 billion ($87.1 million).
Kenya last bought its 1,620 locomotives and wagons from China in 2018.
State had no plans for extension – The allocations to transport ministry show that the government had no plans to extend the SGR beyond Naivasha to Kisumu and finally Malaba in the next three years.
The rest of the funds, which have been allocated under the “Mombasa to Nairobi SGR” vote will largely be used to build new feeder lines and rehabilitate the old metre gauge railway (MGR) lines.
Charged at the rate of two percent, the Railway Development Fund (RDF) is levied on all goods imported into the country for home use.
“The purpose of the levy shall be to provide funds for the construction of a standard gauge railway network in order to facilitate the transportation of goods,” reads part of the Miscellaneous Fees and Levies Act which establishes the kitty.
Budgetary allocations for the acquisition of locomotives and wagons are projected to increase to Ksh16 billion ($117 million) in Financial Year 2024/25 and Ksh22.2 billion ($162.4 million) in the Financial Year 2025/26 taking the total allocations for the three years to Ksh50.1 billion ($366.5 million).
Another Ksh5.9 billion ($43.16 million) will be spent on the rehabilitation, remanufacturing or overhaul of locomotives, wagons and coaches, according to a breakdown of the Ksh37.4 billion ($273.6 million) allocation.
The new feeder lines will link some of the sections of the modern railway such as the Mombasa SGR Terminus to critical urban centres.
This includes Ksh4.48 billion ($32.77 million) for the construction of the Riruta-Lenana-Ngong Railway Line and Ksh2.96 billion ($21.65 million) for the construction of a Railway Metro Line linking Embakasi Station and Ruai town.
In the next 12 months, the government will also build a new 2.8-kilometre Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) link from Mombasa SGR Terminus to Mombasa MGR station at a cost of Ksh2.5 billion ($18.29 million).
These funds will also be used to construct a railway bridge across the Makupa causeway that links Mombasa Island to the Kenyan mainland.
New MGR line – A new Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) line linking the Naivasha Inland Container Depot to the existing Longonot Railway Station has been allocated Ksh1.6 billion ($11.7 million) in the next financial calendar.
The construction of a Railway Metro Line connecting Athi River Station to the East African Portland Cement has been allocated Ksh400 million ($2.93 million).
This is projected to rise to Ksh1.17 billion ($8.56 million) in the Financial Year starting July next year and Sh1.36 billion in Financial Year 2025/26.
Another Railway Metro Line connecting Athi River Station to NSSF and Mavoko will absorb Ksh450 million ($3.3 million), a figure that is set to increase to Ksh1.56 billion ($11.4 million) and Ksh1.89 billion ($13.83 million) in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
The money will also be used to rehabilitate the line between Longonot and the Western border town of Malaba, which is aimed at facilitating the movement of cargo from the port city of Mombasa to Uganda.
Also in this border town, which is prone to congestion, the State plans to build Malaba Cargo Handling Yard. Around Ksh474 million ($3.45 million) has been set aside for this project.
Other spending items will be the acquisition of plant and equipment, which shall take up Ksh3.8 billion ($27.8 million) in the next fiscal year, Sh1.1 billion in Financial Year 2024/25 and Ksh600 million ($4.4 million) in the Financial Year 2025/26.
Logistics Hub – A logistics hub is planned for Athi River with the state putting aside Ksh1.125 billion ($8.23 million).
The allocation for this planned logistics hub will reduce to Ksh375 million ($2.74 million) in the year ending June 2025.
Initial plans were to extend the SGR to Uganda; however, this has since stalled with the Treasury not getting funds for the extension to Kisumu and finally to Malaba.
Murkomen at the beginning of this year said the Kenya Kwanza administration in partnership with the Chinese government is keen on extending the SGR from Naivasha’s Mai Mahiu to the border of Uganda through a five-year plan that will see the multibillion-dollar railway line run through Narok, Bomet, Nyamira, Kisumu, and Malaba.
“In the long run, we would like to complete the connection of the SGR from Suswa to Kisumu through Bomet, Nyamira, parts of Kisii and later to Malaba. Later, we can think of upgrading the existing MGR via Nakuru to Kisumu and via Eldoret to Malaba,” he said on December 15, 2022.
With the additional expenditure, the government hopes the country’s most expensive piece of infrastructure will help to grow the economy and improve the standard of living for Kenyans.
The administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta borrowed Ksh656.1 billion ($4.8 billion) in three tranches for the construction of the two phases of the SGR, contributing to a major build-up of Kenya’s stock of debt.
Kenya will use Ksh11.9 billion ($87 million) to acquire rolling stock that will be used to ferry cargo on the SGR from Mombasa to Naivasha.
Grand $15 billion plan to expand Kenya SGR to Kisumu, Malaba, Isiolo
The standard gauge railway line at the Naivasha Inland Container Depot, a transhipment hub for Kenya’s SGR from Mombasa, which is to extend to the proposed Malaba railway line in Uganda. [3]
Kenya has set sights on a Ksh2.1 trillion ($15.3 billion) plan to extend the standard gauge railway (SGR) to Kisumu, Malaba and Isiolo by the end of June 2027, a government document seen by the Business Daily shows.
According to the plan, the State Department of Transport will build another 2,746 kilometres of the SGR at $15.3 billion, a move that will push the total spend on the modern railway to more than Ksh2.75 trillion ($20 billion).
The plan, lifted from the Jubilee Government’s grand scheme on SGR (so far Kenya’s most expensive project), is part of the Ksh3.42 trillion ($24.9 billion) Lamu Port South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset).
Lapsset is aimed at opening up northern Kenya and revamping the northern corridor by spurring movement within Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
It is an ambitious scheme that will not only see the modern railway reach the border town of Malaba via Kisumu, as it was initially envisioned, but also Isiolo, Moyale and the island of Lamu.
The line will move from Mariakani in Mombasa County to Lamu to Isiolo. From Isiolo, the SGR will be connected to the northeastern town of Moyale which borders Ethiopia.
From Isiolo, the government will extend the SGR to Nairobi, connecting the country’s capital city and commercial hub to northern Kenya and finally to Ethiopia.
From Naivasha, the SGR is extended to Malaba through Kisumu.
The bulk of the financing for these additional kilometres of the SGR, around Ksh1.8 trillion ($13 billion), will be from external financiers that the document has not revealed while the rest will come from the Kenyan government.
So far, the SGR from Mombasa to Naivasha has been financed by the Chinese at a total cost of Ksh656.1 billion ($4.7 billion)
The longest stretch of the planned SGR, 753.2 kilometres, will be from Isiolo to Nakodok, a small town near the border between Kenya and South Sudan.
The Transport Ministry, headed by Kipchumba Murkomen, has cost this phase of the SGR at Ksh443.2 billion ($3.2 billion).
From Lamu to Isiolo, a distance of 544.4 kilometres, the Ruto administration plans to build the rail line at Ksh348.7 billion ($2.5 billion).
From Isiolo to Moyale, a distance of 475.9 kilometres, the country is expected to use Ksh317.8 billion ($2.3 billion) to build a new SGR line.
The line connecting Mariakani to Lamu of 325.3 kilometres will cost Ksh257.3 billion ($1.8 billion).
Locations on Kenya’s planned SGR network. [3]
There will be another line of 278 kilometres connecting Nairobi to Isiolo that will consume Ksh239.2 billion ($1.7 billion).
Phase 2B of the SGR from Naivasha to the lakeside city of Kisumu will cost Sh380 billion while the last leg, 2C, from Kisumu to Malaba bordering Uganda will take another Ksh122.9 billion ($896 million).
The document from the State Department of Transport reveals what appears like a near-impossible feat of the government wanting to complete the entire transport circuit in four years from 2023 to 2027.
Although the ministry’s document indicates that construction of these railway lines is to begin at the start of July this year, no budgetary allocation has been made for the SGR for the next three financial years.
In 2014, the government entered into a tripartite agreement with the governments of Rwanda and Uganda to construct a standard gauge railway from Mombasa through Kampala to Kigali, Rwanda.
However, the SGR ended abruptly in Naivasha with China reportedly declining to finance the last leg of the modern railway after failing to strike an agreement with Uganda.
The new administration of President Ruto has rekindled plans to complete the SGR.
Through a partnership with the Chinese government, Mr Murkomen said earlier this year the government wanted to extend the SGR from Naivasha’s Mai Mahiu to the border of Uganda through a five-year plan that will see the multibillion-dollar railway line run through Narok, Bomet, Nyamira, Kisumu, and finally Malaba.
“In the long run, we would like to complete the connection of the SGR from Suswa to Kisumu through Bomet, Nyamira, parts of Kisii and later to Malaba. Later, we can think of upgrading the existing MGR via Nakuru to Kisumu and via Eldoret to Malaba,” the CS said in a statement on December 15 last year.
The Transport Ministry has been allocated Ksh100 billion ($729 million) from the Railway Development Levy Fund (RDLF) for the next three years to revamp the existing SGR line from Mombasa to Naivasha via Nairobi and build new sidings.
The money will also be used to buy more locomotives and cargo wagons, which are aimed at improving the freight capacity of the modern railway which is still facing cut-throat competition from trucks.
Plans to revamp the SGR involve mostly building new metre gauge railway (MGR) or rehabilitating them.
New Concrete Sleepers for the Metre-Gauge in Uganda
New Vision reported that, on 1st September 2023, President Yoweri Museveni opened a new Concrete sleeper making facility at Kawolo, Buikwe District, Kampala. The sleepers are to be used in the rehabilitation of the metre-gauge railway line.
The traditional steel sleepers are no longer in favour. Thefts and vandalism mean that alternatives have had to be sought. [6]
The old steel sleepers on the right. The new concrete sleepers in ballast on the left. [7]
The sleepers are being used on the Kampala to Namanve line before being rolled out to other projects. The construction of the factory valued at over 19 million Euros (about 76 billion Uganda Shillings) started in June 2020.
On-going work on the Kampala to Namanve line. [8]
The use of concrete sleepers on the suburban lines will be supplemented by the procurement of diesel multiple units and additional coaches.
“In August 2020, URC said the Government had secured funding from the Spanish government and African Development Bank (AfDB) to the tune of shillings 1.3 trillion to revamp the Metre Gauge Railway by rehabilitating about 250 kilometres from Malaba to Kampala.” [6]
On 1st February 2024, work on the Kampala to Namanve line was close to completion and a predicted opening in March 2024. [9]
Kenya Railways puts proposed Lapsset SGR costs at $16 billion: bulk on Isiolo-Nakodok line
Kenya will need at least Ksh 2.4 trillion ($16 billion) to construct a proposed Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) on the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (Lapsset) corridor, according to projections by the Kenya Railways Corporation.
According to the parastatal, it would cost Ksh 523.05 billion ($3.49 billion) to build a 544.4 km SGR link to connect Lamu and Isiolo and a further Ksh 476.7 billion ($3.178 billion) to extend the line from Isiolo to Moyale over a distance of 475.9 km.
The largest spending would be on constructing the SGR line from Isiolo to Nakodok town on the border between Kenya and South Sudan over a distance of 753.2 km at a cost of Ksh664.65 billion ($4.431 billion).
Kenya Railways has estimated that a further Ksh 358.8 billion ($2.392 billion) will be required to link Isiolo and Nairobi via SGR over a distance of 278.6 km and a further Ksh 385.95 billion ($2.573 billion) for the 325.35 km stretch between Lamu and Mariakani.
The entire stretch will cover a total of 2,377.45 km, translating into a cost of Ksh 1 billion ($6.667 million) for every kilometre of the SGR.
But the cost of undertaking such a colossal venture, which would be by far the most expensive in Kenya’s history, will be far higher than Kenya Railways’ estimates considering the company did the costing at an exchange of Ksh150/US dollar.
The parastatal has nonetheless expressed confidence in raising Ksh275.9 billion ($1.84 billion) or 11.4 percent of the total project cost by the financial year 2027/28 through funding from the government, collections from the Railway Development Levy Fund (RDLF) and loans.
Kenya in 2014 began construction of Phase 1 of the SGR line between Mombasa and Nairobi covering 472km. Phase 2A Nairobi-Naivasha (120km) was constructed in 2017. The project was funded by a $5.08 billion loan from China.
“The SGR line has led to expansion of the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Nairobi at Embakasi, and construction of the ICD – Naivasha at Mai Mahiu,” said Kenya Railways.
The firm added: “This has contributed to decongestion of the seaport of Mombasa and facilitated seamless transit of goods destined to Western Kenya and neighbouring countries.”
Already, two studies have been undertaken to explore the feasibility of a Lapsset corridor railway by Japan Port Consultants in 2009 and China Civil Engineering Construction Company (2015). The latter study estimated the cost of the project at $10.4 billion with a financial rate of return of between nine percent and 12 percent.
The proposal to build an SGR line along the Lapsset corridor is however not feasible yet as the Lapsset project has failed to take off due to lack of funding as well as insecurity. Kenya is also facing a huge debt pile which has been worsened by the rapid depreciation of the Kenyan shilling leading to a surge in foreign currency external loans.
John R. Day wrote two volumes in the early 1960s about the railways of Africa. The first was about the southern area of the continent and entitled, unsurprisingly, ‘Railways of Southern Africa’. [1] The second volume was entitled ‘Railways of Northern Africa’ and dealt with the remainder of the continent. [2]
An on-line acquaintance very kindly sent me a copy of the chapter from that second volume which covers British East Africa. Today, the chapter title would give cause for some concern, but colonial attitudes still held sway in the 1960s. [2: p24-41]
Reading that chapter piqued my interest and I managed to pick up a secondhand copy of the book at a reasonable cost.
I have written a series of articles about the Uganda Railway and its successors in Uganda and Kenya. Those articles can be found here on my blog (rogerfarnworth.com). [3] These articles begin with a history of the mainline and then follow the route of the railway West from Mombasa. Later articles pickup on one of the volumes about the history of the railways in East Africa which were written by M.F. Hill. [4]
Day begins his chapter on British East Africa by quoting from Sir Winston Churchill’s My African Journey, which highlights what was very true in the very early years of the 20th century, “that the Uganda Railway did not pass through Uganda. It was a railway to it, not of it. ‘It stops short of the land from which it takes its name, and falls exhausted by its exertions and vicissitudes, content feverishly to lap the waters of the Victoria Nyanza.'” [4: p24][5]
The Uganda Railway: this map of the route of the line is included in Winston Churchill’s My African Journey. [5]
Day also remarks on the level of vitriol which was directed at the Uganda Railway during its construction, quoting The Railway Gazette of 1911, “It is doubtful whether any project has been so roundly abused and so soon proved successful as the Uganda Railway. Politicians of all shades of opinion had their fling at it in turn, and it was condemned as a permanent money-sink. Yet it went on being built, slowly but surely, and in the second year of full public operation earned a profit over its working expenses.” [6] Day goes on to state boldly that it was this railway from Mombasa to Lake Victoria which created modern Kenya!
In Day’s book a short note follows about the thinking which brought the Railway into being: “The Imperial British East Africa Company, formed in 1888 from the British East Africa Association, played an important part: one of its main objects was to suppress the slave trade. In 1890, the Company arranged for 60 miles of narrow-gauge railway to be built. From England came 65 miles of 2 ft. gauge track and from India came labourers: only seven miles were built, but it was named the “Central Africa Railway”. Later it was pulled up and the material re-used for a tram-line in Mombasa.” [2: p24][7]
“Apart from the desire for good communications with Uganda, which, besides being a desirable territory in itself, controlled the head-waters of the Nile and thus much of the economy of Egypt and the Sudan, it was thought that the railway would end the slave trade. The argument was that the slaves travelled with the caravans, but once the railway was built it would so speed up and cheapen travel that the caravans would cease.” [2: p24]
Robert Clemm argues that “the territory of what would become the British colony of Kenya was little regarded by Europeans during the mid-to-late 19th century. At that time, it served as little more than a barrier to cross to places more renowned and important. For explorers who wished to verify if the reports of a snow-cappedmountain in Africa were true, it was simply a land to traverse on the way to Mount Kilimanjaro. For British officials in the aftermath of the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, it was a land necessary to possess not for its own intrinsic worth, but only as a means to stabilize “effective occupation” and to preserve British dominance. For officers of the Imperial British East Africa Company, it was an obstacle to surmount to gain access to the much richer lands of Uganda. The construction of the Uganda Railway, however, radically changed the perception, and, by extension, the nature and history of Kenya. … The Uganda Railway was a piece of technology crafted to solve the joint political and economic concerns of the British Government in eastern Africa. In linking the coast firmly to Uganda it would solidify British control over a region contested by German colonial enthusiasts, and would ensure the prosperity of the regionthrough the expected transport of cash crops to the coast. … As much as the Uganda Railway seems to present yet another example ofthe importance of technology generally, and the railway specifically, to the process of imperialism, it goes well beyond that. The “Lunatic Express,” as the Uganda Railway was nicknamed, illustrates the power of technology to create and transform well in excess of our own intentions. While its creators simply wished to solve the technical question of linking important regions via a stable transportation network, the railway fundamentally transformed the land over which it crossed. The transformation went beyond that of the physical land-scape, which would be leveled and etched with rails and ties, and extended to the very understanding of what Kenya was.” [8: p133f]
Mervyn Hill’s first volume, [4] demonstrates the way in which the Uganda Railway fulfilled the role that Clemm describes.
Day continues, in his chapter on British East Africa, to outline the survey work of a team of three Royal Engineers led by Captain J.R.L. Macdonald which sought the best route to Lake Victoria. Day comments that Macdonald “was concerned only to find the quickest and cheapest way from the coast to Lake Victoria: no one at that time was bothered about the highlands of Kenya.” [2: p25]
Day notes that the election of Lord Salisbury’s Conservative government in Britain in 1895 finally resulted in a decision to build the railway. He describes the decision taken in 1896 to build the line to metre-gauge as ‘unfortunate‘. It was a decision “based on the assumption that, as many Indian railways were of this gauge, rolling stock could be obtained quickly if needed in an emergency.” [2: p26] Day does not state why he sees the decision as unfortunate. It may possibly be because other railways on the continent were being built to a gauge of 3ft 6in, rather than metre-gauge.
Construction started with a 1,700ft timber viaduct connecting Mombasa Island to the mainland. This remained in use until an iron bridge was opened to traffic in July 1901. Day reports that relatively quick progress was made in 1896 with the railhead being 23 miles from the coast by the end of the year.
The story of the construction work in 1896-1898 was, however, a troubling one. “By the end of 1896, the number of Indian labourers had risen to about 4,000; but more than half suffered from malaria, which also attacked the European staff. Troubles continued to dog the work in 1897 and 1898. An outbreak of bubonic plague in India dried up the labour supply for months. All the camels and all but six of the 800 donkeys used to carry supplies died, as did over a third of the mules and more than nine-tenths of the oxen. Water had to be brought by train to supply the labourers. Transport beyond railhead was eased later by the importation of four traction engines and trailers.” [2: p27]
A revolt in Uganda and a mutiny by Sudanese troops saw the incomplete railway transporting large numbers of troops about 100 miles from the coast and it was the successful use of the railway by the military which gave greater impetus to the construction work.
The first 100 miles of the line has been opened to freight at the end of 1897, and to passengers early in 1898. In December 1898, a delay of three weeks with work completely shut down was caused by attack on workers by two lions. These attacks continued into 1900 and meant that the pace of the work was slower than it might have been. Nonetheless, by the end of 1897 rails were 256 miles from the coast.
By the end of May 1899 the rails had reached what became Nairobi and the railway headquarters were built there. “By the end of 1899, more than 18,000 Indian labourers were at work and the line was pressing on from Nairobi toward the escarpment and the site of the inclines. The first few months of 1900 brought heavy rains and partly washed away the earth- works east of Nairobi, causing delays. By this time the survey had been completed to the lake by a shorter route than that first envisaged, the locomotive stock had increased to over 90, and there were about 175 passenger vehicles and 900 wagons of various types.” [2: p29]
Day comments that a “new route had been found into the Rift Valley which avoided the reversing stations which Macdonald had thought necessary. At first, however, the Chief Engineer decided to use a funicular railway to carry material down into the Rift Valley so that the railway could be continued towards Lake Victoria without wait- ing for the permanent line. The vertical height of the funicular was just over 1,500 ft. and it was in four sections. The top section was at 1 in 6, the two middle sections at 1 in 2 and the bottom section at about 1 in 11.” [2: p28f]
“On the top and bottom inclines, full wagons going down pulled the empty ones up again. On the centre sections, built to a gauge of 5 ft. 6 in., wagons were carried on special trucks so built as to have a horizontal deck on which were metre-gauge tracks for the railway wagons. These special trucks were hauled by a 1 in. dia. steel wire rope passing round a power-driven drum at the top of the incline. All four inclines were double track, but the lower portions of the 1 in 2 section were of gauntletted track, i.e. the two tracks were interlaced. A temporary railway led from the foot of the incline to the permanent line of route at a point 375 miles from Mombasa. The inclines enabled the railway to advance another 170 miles before the permanent alignment was finished into the valley and the funicular was taken out of use in November, 1901.” [2: p29]
March 1901 saw the railhead having reached 483 miles West of Nairobi, 17 miles behind the earthworks. The line reached Port Florence (later Kisumu) on 19th December 1901. It cost around £5.5 million and climbed more than 6,000ft en-route from Mombasa. Very soon minds turned towards extending the line to Uganda to avoid the need for the transshipment of goods onto and off lake steamers. Uganda was a different world to Kenya. “Sir Charles Eliot wrote in 1903: ‘To cross the lake [to Uganda] is like visiting another continent. The country is cultivated and thickly populated. There are good roads, fences and houses all constructed by the natives. The people are all clothed, and it is a reproach not to be able to read and write.’ The contrast with Kenya as it them was could not have been greater.” [2: p30] It is easy to see why Uganda was a target for colonial powers.
Winston Churchill continued his advocacy for an extension of the railway into Uganda. A deep water pier at Killindini was funded by the British government by means of a loan and £60,000 was allocated for the construction of a ‘tramway’ between Nairobi and Thika in Kenya. The ‘tramway’ was built to the same gauge as the railway and with gradual improvement over the years, became a defacto branch line.
An extract from a map produced by East African Railways and Harbours which shows the branch line heading away from the main line at Nairobi and running through to Thika and beyond. [2: p23]
Churchill’s advocacy resulted in the construction of a line between Jinja on Lake Victoria and Kakindu on the Nile and permitting access to Lake Kioga. The terminus was relocated during construction to Namasagali. The line was given the name, ‘The Busoga Railway’ and opened in 1912. I have written about this line and the article can be found here. [9]
A branch line to Lake Magadi was also constructed, running from Konza (282 miles from Mombasa) to the lake. It was around 100 miles in length. The Lake Magadi Soda Co. was formed in 1911 and later acquired a 99-year lease of the area and powers to build a pier at Kilindini. The branch line was complete in 1915. The line is referred to here and a pictorial record of a visit in the 1990s is included in that linked article. [10]
Another extract from a map produced by East African Railways and Harbours which shows the branch line heading away from the main line at Konza and running through to Magadi. [2: p23]
In the early years of the 20th century traffic on the mainline increased significantly. “In 1902, there were three or perhaps four trains a week in each direction. In 1912 there were 50 or 60: the working profit was £134,000.” [2: p32]
After WW1 the possibility of a line to the Uasin Gishu plateau was reconsidered. It was hoped that this line might eventually result in a further extension into Uganda. There was some heated argument about the best route for this line before work commenced on the new line from a junction at Nakuru in the the last few weeks of 1921. By 1923, a line as far as Sabatia was in use.
Another extract from a map produced by East African Railways and Harbours which shows the new line heading away from what was the main line at Nakuru and running through Sabatia, Equator and Timboroa. [2: p23]
The network continued to develop. The Thika line was extended to Nyeri. Work in the West of Kenya was also moving forward, decisions were taken to: extend the Usain Gishu line; create a branch to Mbale (in Uganda) from Tororo on the border; build a line from Rongai to Solai in Nakuru District; and a branch from Leseru to Kitali. All of these, bar the Mbale branch, were under construction by the end of 1924.
“In 1926, the name of the railway was changed from the Uganda Railway to the Kenya and Uganda Railway, and at the end of that year 1,128 miles of railway were open.” [2: p34] By January 1928 the line reached the River Nile and an extension to Kampala from Jinja was under consideration.
In 1927, a further name change to ‘Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours’ was in place and more powerful locomotives were introduced with an increase in rail weight to 80lbs/yard on the length from Mombasa to Makindu. A new causeway was under construction to link Mombasa Island to the mainland. The causeway made room for both road and rail and was completed by a 5-span bridge. The Nyeri Branch was completed mid-year. The Branch to Mbale, extended to Soroti, was under construction and a branch from Gilgil to Thomson’s Falls was agreed.
A further extract from the East African Railways and Harbours map which shows the branch from Rongai to Solai, the branch from Gilgil to Thomson’s Falls and a length of the Nyeri branch. [2: p23]
Construction of the Thomson’s Falls Branch commenced at the beginning of 1928 and was completed by August 1929. The Soroti Branch was completed by September 1929 and the branch from Kisumu to Yala by November 1930. The Naro Moru Branch was extended to Nanyuki (visible to the right side of the image above) by October 1930.
“The Jinja-Kampala line was started in early 1929 and the 58-mile line made such progress that track-laying was finished in January 1930. The inauguration has to wait for the completion of the bridge across the Nile, opened by the Governor of Uganda on 14th January 1931.” [2: 35f]
A portrait of East African Railways 59 class Garratt locomotive no. 5902, before it was named ‘Ruwenzori Mountains’. East African Railways and Harbours – A.J. Craddock’s personal collection of EAR&H publicity photos given to him during a visit to the Nairobi HQ in 1954 (EAR&H negative 961/1) – Public Domain. [11]
Engineers and surveyors were at work in Western Uganda in the 1930s looking for ways to connect through to the Congo but the world depression of the 1930s hampered any significant expansion of the network. Only a short length from Yala to Butere was completed. Trade improved in the late 1930s and new passenger and rolling stock arrived by 1939, along with six powerful Beyer Garratt Locomotives. WW2 brought a reevaluation of priorities, railway workshops were turned over to military uses. New lines were considered if they would enhance the war effort. One of these was an extenion of the Nairobi-Thika Branch to the North. A great deal of effort was put into the building of this line which in the end proved of little value as its intended use was overtaken by the speed of the military advance North from Kenya.
After the war, a line to the Kilembe Copper Mine was deemed essential. A route had been surveyed before WW2 and the idea was resurrected in 1950. Kilembe was expected “to produce 20,000-25,000 tons of copper and 1,500 tons of cobalt a year. The Government of Uganda came to the conclusion that a line would be justified and that the area through which it would run would be suitable for crop growing and cattle ranching.” [2: p37] The project was approved in January 1952, work began in the same month. The line was open to Mityana by August 1953 and to Kasese in August 1956. The construction work was demanding. Day tells us that “up to 5,000 men at a time worked on the new line, which ran in places through thick forest and in others demanded heavy earthworks. Embankments were needed to cross the papyrus swamps which the line traverses for some 40 miles of its route, and there are 24 bridges. The Lake George swamp demanded a four-mile earth embankment containing 18 million cubic feet of earth and included gaps spanned by three 60 ft. bridges. The swamp is fed by streams from the Rift escarpment and from the Ruwenzori Mountains, and concrete piers had to be sunk 40 ft. into the swamp to support the ends of the bridge spans.” [2: p38]
“Where the railway drops down into the Western Rift Valley a great spiral was built to take the line down part of the 1,000 ft. difference in level. Apart from excavation and moving 60 million feet of earth on this and other parts of the escarpment stretch of line, blasting had to be undertaken where rock barred the way. When the rails reached Kasese, with the Ruwenzori Mountains just beyond, railhead was 1,080 miles from the sea. Traffic was flowing from the mines over the £5 million line to the smelting plant at Jinja, 263 miles away, by the end of the year.” [2: p38]
In 1950 a main line realignment between Nakuru and Nairobi (113 miles) was completed at a cost of £2.25 million, shortening the journey by 10 miles and easing gradients. “It included the 2,500ft Limuru tunnel and another at Gilgil in the side of the Great Rift Valley.” [2: p38]
In 1955, the railways in East Africa had their most successful year. Day tells us that the annual report for 1957 reviewed the decade since the war and the formation (in 1947) of the larger East African Railways and Harbours Co. with the inclusion of what were originally German colonial lines in Tanganyika (Tanzania): “Public goods on the inland transport services had increased from 2.6 million tons a year in 1948 to 3.8 million tons in 1957, and ton-mileage from 769 million to 1,454 million. (in 1962 traffic had risne to4.15 million tons and 1,661 million ton-miles.) The tonnage of imports and exports passing through East African ports rose from 3.1 million to 4.4 million. The locomotive stock rose from 234 in 1948 to 461 in 1957 and the number of wagons rose from 5,764 t0 9,594. The route mileage increased from 2,930 to 3,375.” [2: p39]
At the end of 1957, locomotive stock consisted of, “129 Beyer-Garratt, 222 tender, and 58 tank locomotives as well as 46 diesels. There were 994 coaching vehicles.” [2: p39]
1957 was a pivotal year for traction on the network. The Southern section (Tanganyika) was primarily run by diesel locomotives and railcars and some diesels were in use on the Magadi branch. 1958 saw ten new diesels (1,850h.p.) ordered and over the next few years significant expansion continued. Independence for Tanganyika (Tanzania) in 1961 put in doubt the continuing use of the Southern section as the new state would need to fund at least £200,000/year to keep the system.
In May 1963, an international committee of inquiry recommended that all steam motive power should be replaced by standardised diesel-hydraulic locomotives. Days final comment is that this would be a major undertaking as at the time 406 steam locomotives remained against 56 diesels(of which some of the largest were diesel-electrics) [2: p41]
It is at this point that Day’s history of the East African lines comes to a halt. He was unable to catalogue events of the later 1960s and beyond. His book was published in 1964.
A more detailed history can be found in M.F. Hill’s book Permanent Way: the story of the Kenya and Uganda Railway. [4] This book can cost significant sums on the secondhand market. I have produced a series of articles on it which begin here. [12]
References
John R. Day; Railways of Southern Africa; Arthur Barker, London, 1963.
John R. Day; Railways of Northern Africa; Arthur Barker, London, 1964.
This post includes a selection of news items about Kenya Railways in the period from 2018 to the Autumn of 2022. The items included are by no means exhaustive but they might be of interest! ……..
The Birth of a Nation: preserving records on the Kenya-Uganda railway line (EAP1143)
In 2018 the British Library funded a small pilot project undertaken in Nairobi Railway Museum’s archive. This was a low cost 6 month pilot which identified the condition of the archived documents and photographs and improved storage and access to them.
The photographs which were digitised all seem to predate the construction of the railway and document the life and times of people who lived on its route. [1]
The Standard-Gauge Line
In 2018, NPR reported that the “Standard Gauge Railway station in Nairobi is easily the most impressive public building in Kenya.” [8] The station is “adventurous. It’s all gray and modern. Geometric shapes form an abstract locomotive, and red neon announces the “Nairobi Terminus.”” [8]
The Standard-gauge Railway Station at Nairobi. [8]
NPR continues: “The train runs 293 miles from Kenya’s capital city to the port of Mombasa and back twice a day and represents the biggest infrastructure project since Kenya’s independence 54 years ago. The Chinese financed it; a Chinese company built it; and the Chinese will operate it for many years to come. … The project, which launched in the summer of 2017, has not only come to signify Kenya’s ambitions, but also China’s ambitions on the African continent. In the past decade, China has become the biggest lender to governments in Africa. The money has helped build ports, roads, bridges, airports and trains. But critics warn the loans are full of traps that could leave African countries in the lurch. Kenya alone owes $5.3 billion to China.” [8]
On 16th October 2019, VOA News reported that Kenya opened the second phase of the Standard Gauge Railway Project: “Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta officially opened on Wednesday the second phase of his flagship infrastructure project: a Chinese-funded and built railway that will eventually link the port of Mombasa to Uganda. … The latest stretch of track cost $1.5 billion and runs from Nairobi to the Rift Valley town of Naivasha.” [9]
After the official opening, the president then joined the first ride along the line. … “The train stopped at every station, where a cheering crowd awaited the president. He promised them that the new railway will bring prosperity. … Kenyatta said that if the railway comes here, development also comes here.” [9]
The new track is 120 kilometers (75 miles) long and has 12 stations. Passengers can ride the trains, but the railway is mainly for cargo. The track will eventually lead to an inland container depot, (see below) from where containers will be distributed to Uganda and Rwanda, and to South Sudan. [9]
On 20th August 2021 the Ugandan newspaper, ‘The Independent’ reported that Kenya’s Standard-gauge railway line transported 2.31 million tons of cargo between January and the end of May that year: “an increase of about 45 percent from the similar period in 2020, according to data released on Thursday from the Kenya Railways Corporation.” [10]
“The rise in cargo volumes saw an increase in revenue generated during the months to 6.2 billion shillings (about 57 million U.S. dollars), up from 41.4 million dollars generated from January to May in 2020, it said. … The number of passengers using the train during the first five months of 2021 nearly doubled amid COVID-19 pandemic. … Some 601,201 passengers were ferried between the capital Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa during the period, up from 330,232 in 2020 when the country grappled with COVID-19 pandemic, the corporation said. … This generated revenue of 5.9 million dollars, up from 3.3 million dollars generated between January and May in 2020.” [10]
Refurbishment of Nairobi Central Station
Major renovations at Nairobi Central Station began on 27th July 2020. By January 2021, the work was well-advanced. Kenya Railways reported that the work would facilitate the use of the new DMUs due to arrive in the country.
Renovation work at Nairobi Central Station in January 2021. [5]
Kenya Railways stated on 13th January 2021 that, “as the rehabilitation works continue[d], stringent measures [were] put in place to safeguard daily commuters as they access[ed] the station.” [5]
Designated boarding points were set for various trains to facilitate safe movement of passengers within the Nairobi Central Station. For instance, Kikuyu and Ruiru trains, the boarding point was designated on the Western end of the Nairobi Central Station and it was to be accessed from Railways Police station. While passengers boarding Syokimau & SGR Link trains boarded the trains from the Eastern end of the station with the access point being adjacent to Guava restaurant.
Kenya Railways stated that, “The rehabilitation of Nairobi Central Station will not only give it a new face but also show KR is dedicated in making transportation better.” [5]
Plans for the full renewal of Nairobi Central Station were published in May 2022. The project has been sponsored by both the British and Kenyan Governments.
Design office view of the proposed renewed Central Station. [6]
THE British and Kenyan governments unveiled the final design of Nairobi’s new Central Railway Station and surrounding public area, which has been developed as part of the Nairobi Railway City redevelopment programme. [6]
The IRJ reported that, “The design was developed by SNC-Lavalin subsidiary Atkins and submitted to Kenya Railways and the Ministry of Transport. … The station is designed to accommodate up to 30,000 passengers per hour at peak periods, and will have 6000m2 of concourse space. The station will offer a new covered public space for the city with retail outlets and other amenities …. It features separate entrance and exit routes to avoid conflicting flows and ensure passengers can get to and from the platforms efficiently. … Three existing platforms will be joined by six additional passenger platforms, and four dedicated freight lines will be built. Two platform bridges will be built, with one for passengers entering the station and one for passengers exiting.” [6]
A few design office perspective views are shown below:
The SGR to MGR link at Naivasha
In July 2022, President Uhuru Kenyatta officially commissioned the Standard Gauge Railway – Metre Gauge Railway Passenger Rail Link at the Kenya Railways Mai Mahiu Station in Naivasha, Nakuru County. The ceremony took place on Tuesday, 26th July 2022.
The 5km link will enable passengers traveling to Western Kenya by train to switch from the standard-gauge service to that of the metre-gauge and vice versa. Kenya Railways reported that it would as a result be possible to travel exclusively by rail from Mombasa through Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Makueni, Machakos, Kijiado and Nairobi onwards to Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kitale, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Malaba and Bungoma. [2]
Naivasha Inland Container Depot
On the same day (26th July 2022) the Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD) was officially opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The Naivasha ICD facility which incorporates both the Standard Gauge Railway and the Metre Gauge Railway line will handle mainly transit cargo to the Great Lakes Region including Uganda, South Sudan, DR Congo, Northern Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, which account for around 30% of imports and exports through the Port of Mombasa.
The SGR/MGR Link referred to above will greatly facilitate the transshipment process. All Transit cargo can now be delivered to the facility straight from the Port of Mombasa as either Through Bill of Lading (TBL) or merchant haulage (Non-TBL), while exports and empty containers can also be consolidated at the Naivasha ICD and railed to the Port of Mombasa for onward shipping.
Kenya Railways reported that, “The depot is linked to the Mombasa Port container terminal by a rail-tainer service on the Mombasa to Suswa Standard Gauge Railway line. It will serve to bring port services closer to customers and reduce congestion at the Port of Mombasa, Nairobi Inland Container Depot and on the roads. It is convenient for East African partner states who will not have to cover an entire 572 kilometres by road between Mombasa and Naivasha. From Naivasha ICD to Malaba Railway Yard, cargo will be transported over 36 hours and it will cost $860.”
Kenya Railways also affirmed that, “The Naivasha ICD includes a one-stop centre for ease of operations and efficient service delivery. The port houses all the Government agencies involved in handling of cargo namely Kenya Railways, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Port Health (Public Health) and Revenue Authority officers from partner states of Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.” [3]
Nakuru Railway Station
President Uhuru Kenyatta officially commissioned the revitalized 217km Nakuru-Kisumu Metre-Gauge Railway (MGR) and the 465km Longonot–Malaba segment as well as the refurbished Nakuru Railway Station.
Kenya Railways reported on 28th July 2022 that the re-commissioning had taken place: “The iconic Nakuru Railway Station is a key transit station for cargo and passenger train services to and from Western Kenya, and is the aggregation hub for farm produce from the agriculturally rich Central Rift region for onward freight to the Coast for export.” [4]
“Nakuru town started as a railway station on Kenyan-Uganda railway line at the turn of 20th century. It was built in 1900 and later expanded in 1957. It sits on the east side of the centre of Nakuru. The town is part of the famous ‘White Highlands settlement’ areas established by the British during the colonial era. The areas surrounding Nakuru town are mainly known for their vast agricultural potential especially cash-crop farming i.e wheat, barley, pyrethrum, sisal, maize and beans. Nakuru Railway Station was built in order to serve the rapidly growing economy of the town.” [4]
Refurbished Nakuru Railway Station [7]
“Later branch lines were built to link the station to farming areas. Among these was the line linking the station to the sisal producing Solai area. Just 6.9 kilometres from Nakuru town lies Nakuru Junction station. This is the point at which the lines to Malaba and Kisumu diverge.” [4]
Suburban Services in Nairobi
Nairobi Commuter Rail Services now run regularly to Ruiru, Embakasi Village, Limuru, Syokimau and Lukenya in Kitengela. There is also a Madaraka Express Commuter Service that operates between Nairobi Terminus and Ngong station and a link service between Nairobi Central Station and the Standard-gauge Station runs at 0630hrs, 1200hrs and 2010hrs each day. [11]
Roger Farnworth 
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