The government plans to move 40 per cent of cargo handled by Mombasa port from roads to the SGR as it banks on the modern train service to reduce the damage caused by trucks to highways and also reduce accidents.
The movement of goods between Nairobi and Mombasa is set to ease in the new year once the standard gauge railway (SGR) cargo train becomes fully operational in January.
The government plans to move 40 per cent of cargo handled by Mombasa port from roads to the SGR as it banks on the modern train service to reduce the damage caused by trucks to highways and also reduce accidents.
The trains will shorten the time it takes to transfer cargo from Mombasa to Nairobi by more than half. The trucks at the moment take a whole day.
“Our focus is now on cargo. We have started negotiations with shippers and cargo owners as we seek to boost the number of goods on the SGR,” said Kenya Railways managing director Atanas Maina.
The parastatal, said Mr Maina, is banking on efficiency and reliability to ease the shift of cargo from roads to the railway.
Commuter trains have picked up after their June launch. However, Kenya Railways is still grappling with how to transport cargo to final destinations.
Whereas ferrying goods by SGR from Mombasa to Nairobi is cheaper compared to using the road, owners will have to incur an extra cost to move the consignments from Embakasi based inland container depots to final destinations.
