http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/654576/-/item/0/-/3xeaw2/-/index.html
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Imagine travelling at 160km per hour... in a train!

The prospect of this dream becoming a reality in Kenya grew on Monday when Kenya Railways Corporation advertised a tender for a standard gauge line to run from Mombasa to Malaba.

Such a line would shorten the train journey from Nairobi to Mombasa from 10 to only three hours.

Prospective transaction advisers and design consultants have until January 15, 2010, to forward their bids.

Assignment

Their proposed assignment includes project marketing, investor identification and supporting selection of consultants to monitor detailed design, building and commissioning of the railway.

“Construction is scheduled to commence in May 2011,” the corporation’s managing director, Mr Nduva Muli, said in a two-page paid up advertisement.

The railway line, which will stretch from Mombasa to Malaba on the Kenya/Uganda border with a branch to Kisumu, would see double-decker passenger trains introduced in the region.

According to the government’s timetable, the Mombasa-Nairobi section of the line will be complete by 2013, Nairobi-Kisumu by 2016, and Nairobi-Malaba by 2016.

“The government recognised the need to build the new modern railway in order to increase capacity and improve efficiency, cost-effectiveness and competitiveness of the transport sector,” the advertisement says.

The move signals the government’s admission that the 25-year concession of the current Kenya-Uganda railway to Rift Valley Railways, a consortium led by South Africa’s Sheltam Ltd, in 2006 has not lived up to its expectations.

The concession to RVR is the subject of a court case after Kenya Railways Corporation expressed a desire to terminate the contract.

In this year’s budget, Sh3 billion was allocated to initiate the revamping of the over 100-year old railway system.

This is some great news. We might get high speed trains even before US does.:banana:

^^finally we are heading somewhere:cheers: wacha ikulane:cheers:

http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/image/view/-/654924/highRes/100200/-/maxw/600/-/qvqknkz/-/Railway.jpg Kenya Railways Corporation (KR)plans to build high speed rail lines across the country . / Dan Obiero
By Jim Onyango (email the author (javascript:void(0);))
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Posted Wednesday, September 9 2009 at 00:00

Plans by the national railway operator—Kenya Railways Corporation (KR)— to build high speed rail lines across the country could further sideline the Rift Valley Railways—a South African consortium— that runs the current passenger and freight service.

KR is seeking to construct a standard gauge rail system to replace the 100-year- old rail line that was laid by the colonial government which has been a lifeline for the manufacturing sector in Kenya and Uganda but has proved inefficient in handling increased cargo flow from the Port of Mombasa.

The inefficiencies of the railway system led the governments of Kenya and Uganda to sign a concessionary deal with the South African consortium—Rift Valley Railways in 2006 to turn around rail services in the region, but it soon ran into trouble after recording losses.

Court tussle
In the concession, RVR was to run the 900-kilometre Kenya-Uganda railway line up to 2031 for freight and 2011 for passenger services. Attempts by the government to annul the RVR deal to manage the railway line led to a court tussle.

RVR narrowly avoided cancellation of its 25-year concession in August when the high court granted it an extension to run the railway system despite the government having obtained orders to end the contract.

The managing director of the KR, Mr. Nduva Muli, says plans to build a new standard gauge rail network will not affect its concessionary agreement with RVR.

“The concession agreement with RVR does not stop KR from building a new railway outside the conceded assets since it is evident that the operation of the current railway even after upgrading and taking all optimisation measures, is unable to meet the demand,” said Mr. Muli.

During the 2009 financial year the port of Mombasa handled 17 million tonnes of cargo. Kenya Railways projects that by the year 2030 the port will handle over 30 million tonnes.

“The existing metre gauge railway operated by RVR has limitations in terms of maximum capacity and efficiency. Therefore KR is planning ahead to meet the transport demands of the country and the region by commencing the programme for the development of the new high capacity standard gauge railway” said Mr Muli.

The government-owned KR has issued an international tender seeking companies or organisations to provide advisory services and a preliminary design of the proposed standard gauge railway line between Mombasa and Malaba with a branch line in Kisumu.

Standard gauge
The Corporation is seeking companies or organisations to design the proposed new standard gauge rail line, in a move that analysts said would alienate the RVR from rail transport business.

Mr Muli however says RVR will be incorporated in early discussions to find a way forward in the building of the standard gauge rail network.

“Discussions are being held with the concessionaire to agree on the way forward. In addition one of the Terms of Reference for the transaction advisor will be to advise KR and the government on how best to handle matters pertaining to the existing concession during construction and operation of the new Standard Gauge Railway” said Mr Muli.

Mr. Muli is expected to tell a news conference today that the construction of the standard gauge rail line will start in May 2011.

“The government intends to enhance capacity in the transport sector to improve efficiency, cost effectiveness and competitiveness of the sector to facilitate rapid economic growth” Kenya Railways said in its international tender announcement.

Revolutionise transport
“It is envisaged that the railway line will be extended to Uganda and the Great Lakes region,” said Kenya Railways.

According to the railways company, the planned railway system will revolutionise the transport sector as the railways company intends to introduce 160kph speed passenger coaches and 120kph freight wagons.

As much as I am a fan of highspeed trains, this one sounds like a pipe dream.

Where do they expect to get the money to build it? A railway costs to build from one million to six million US dollars per kilometer depending on terrain. This railroad would be 1000+ Km, with lots of complex terrain (rift valley, hundreds of rivers and other places to build bridges...). Where are the 5 billion usd to build this? If they want to start in 2011, they should already have good idea where to get the money from.

The second problem is the power source. Fast diesel trains are expensive to operate. But this country doesn't have a stable electric source needed for economical electric trains....

As much as I am a fan of highspeed trains, this one sounds like a pipe dream.

Where do they expect to get the money to build it? A railway costs to build from one million to six million US dollars per kilometer depending on terrain. This railroad would be 1000+ Km, with lots of complex terrain (rift valley, hundreds of rivers and other places to build bridges...). Where are the 5 billion usd to build this? If they want to start in 2011, they should already have good idea where to get the money from.

The second problem is the power source. Fast diesel trains are expensive to operate. But this country doesn't have a stable electric source needed for economical electric trains....

you think they dont know that?? or are they just stupid people building castles in the air? i find your critisism to be out of line.

^^ wacha ikulane:cheers:

DB wewe una vichekesho kibao.:lol::lol:

you think they dont know that?? or are they just stupid people building castles in the air? i find your critisism to be out of line.

I think his right man. High Spead rail are damn expensive to build first, and then maintaining is another story.

I would happy if it really become a reality. but i just think it just sweet dreams.

I think his right man. High Spead rail are damn expensive to build first, and then maintaining is another story.

I would happy if it really become a reality. but i just think it just sweet dreams.

im not saying his critism is wrong, im saying that they (kenya railways) already know that its expensive and they know what makes it not easy to build it. so why is he stating something that kenya railways already knows and understands? i for one appreciate the fact that kenya railways is atleast having an idea and trying to follow through with it.

^^
I believe the feasibility study has already been done by reliable consultant. This plans have been their for along time and the government have been preparing to build a standard gauge railway line to replace the current narrow gauge which is a bottleneck.

The focus is not on the initial cost of investment but on the return on investment. Since Kenya is major gateway to east and central africa through its port, relying on road transport and an inefficient railway network could lead to severe consequences of the Kenya economy and those of our neighbours. That's why the Kenyan government in collaboration with other East African governments are planning to build a standard gauge railway line. Tanzania is also building one.

To learn more about a standard gauge railway line read more from this link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_gauge

You will also be surprised that the so called 'Fast diesel trains' are more fuel efficient and therefore less expensive to operate. Am sure because they are newer, their spare parts are readily available hence cheaper.

Don't forget they are able to make more trips because they are faster, they can carry more cargo and people therefore make more money.

Enough said. The railway building begin!!:banana::cheers:

Has anyone been following the infrastructure bonds lately? And Kengen have also sought for more capitalization. Im thinking that once the recession ends most likely mid 2010, and the Kenyan economy rebounds to its former levels, the sky is the limit. What we need to do is form profitable rail companies and Kenyans will rush to throw their money into them.

Has anyone been following the infrastructure bonds lately? And Kengen have also sought for more capitalization. Im thinking that once the recession ends most likely mid 2010, and the Kenyan economy rebounds to its former levels, the sky is the limit. What we need to do is form profitable rail companies and Kenyans will rush to throw their money into them.

You can't wait to see the market bounce back, hey. same here. EAC, SADC will be growing like mushrooms.

As much as I am a fan of highspeed trains, this one sounds like a pipe dream.

Where do they expect to get the money to build it? A railway costs to build from one million to six million US dollars per kilometer depending on terrain. This railroad would be 1000+ Km, with lots of complex terrain (rift valley, hundreds of rivers and other places to build bridges...). Where are the 5 billion usd to build this? If they want to start in 2011, they should already have good idea where to get the money from.

The second problem is the power source. Fast diesel trains are expensive to operate. But this country doesn't have a stable electric source needed for economical electric trains....

^^i love and laugh how our people always to outdo each other to trash any positive idea and development that is raised. i have been protagonist always when it comes to fair and healthy criticism, but i realised that most Kenyans can not draw the line what entails healthy criticism and outright bashing :lol::lol: anyway the claims of power problems will be something of the past once all this energy projects both public and private materialized from 2001 we will be having surplus.

if you read the article carefully it was explicitly revealed investor will be sourced, when investors show an interest in any kind of projects, they carry out feasibility and viability studies and also contingency plan if they faced any kind of bottlenecks in the process therefore your fear is unfounded, therefore the issue of power and natural environment has been considered. :bash:

if i am not wrong although they have not clarified the project will be BOT model i guess, (build operate and transfer) where the investor will control the project for certain period in which after recouping his/her investment he/she will transfer the ownership to the state. believe me being business expert the project will be damn viable considering the average 8% growth in the region before the recession. considering the return on investments and payback period this project will be attracting a lot of investors. for the time being let sit and wait:)

Anyone considered that even the current railway line was seen as something that could not be accomplished when it was first conceived (and im glad it happened otherwise there would be no country called Kenya). In my mind, this is the Lunatic express II. Eventually, it has to get built.:cheers:

granted the project will cost upwards of 300 billion shillings, however, the project is broken down in stages with the final section, the eldoret malaba section being completed in 2016. At the same time the other project, Lamu to Juba and mandera to Addis ababa is being run by the transport ministry. All these projects are a part of the vision 2030 and will be implemented.
By the way the money is there, 70% of Kenya's economy is classified as " informal" meaning not taxed. What this implies is that 30% of Kenyans are able to raise 500 billion shillings ( $7billion ). I was part of that 70% doing what all Kenyans call "hustling" and they are able to pay their rent, eat and drink almost every night. The potential for explosive growth is just about to be unleashed, watch this space.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/655200/-/umt89w/-/

A good idea with a very ambitious time-table. You raise pertinent questions and the answers will come in 2010 when the bids come in. Speeds of 100 miles per hour may be fast for Kenya, but they hardly qualify as 'high-speed': My preferred term would be 'higher-speed.' At any rate, that's progress; progress that will go through some serious trial.
Had KR not concessioned the running of the current rail to RVR., the process could have been smoother. Given that RVR may continue to operate the current lines until their contract expires, it will require the government to obtain land for the new railroad. Going by what has transpired in the past, this will be a lengthy process that will see many court battles on issues of imminent domain and compensation. All this will undoubtedly baloon the cost above the 320 billion quoted.
I read the Nation article and left wondering whether the goals set are genuine, or whether being lofty is what the MD for KR is after. KR was unable to manage the simple system they have now and opted to contract it out to a failed corporation, but we are now supposed to believe that their 'competency' will prevail. The capacity limitation with the current railroad, as given by the MD as reasons for building the new line, does not settle well with me. The current system is simply run so inefficiently that its potential is not being realized. Has anyone watched the number of cars on any given train in Kenya versus those of say the US? We have had such bad roads that transport by train would have taken a shorter time yet KR never capitalized on this.



As much as I am a fan of highspeed trains, this one sounds like a pipe dream.

Where do they expect to get the money to build it? A railway costs to build from one million to six million US dollars per kilometer depending on terrain. This railroad would be 1000+ Km, with lots of complex terrain (rift valley, hundreds of rivers and other places to build bridges...). Where are the 5 billion usd to build this? If they want to start in 2011, they should already have good idea where to get the money from.

The second problem is the power source. Fast diesel trains are expensive to operate. But this country doesn't have a stable electric source needed for economical electric trains....

I doubt that the poster you are referring to meant to assert that KR management is stupid. Poor decisions, or poorly thought out ideas are not the preserve of only the stupid. Remember that it's the same management that gave RVR the concession to destroy the current railroad system. Were they stupid when they did it? Maybe!


you think they dont know that?? or are they just stupid people building castles in the air? i find your critisism to be out of line.

I doubt that the poster you are referring to meant to assert that KR management is stupid. Poor decisions, or poorly thought out ideas are not the preserve of only the stupid. Remember that it's the same management that gave RVR the concession to destroy the current railroad system. Were they stupid when they did it? Maybe!

HUH?????? they chose the investor that had the best plan and money to back it up who turned out not to do the best job. did u want kenya railways to look into the future and see how rvr will mess up? OMG i cant even believe im responding to ur statement.:ohno:

In business there is something called "due diligence" and KR did not do theirs. I can come up with a good plan and money but that does not mean I have the right qualifications to perform the required functions. If they got the RVR part wrong using the same matrix(es), what will prevent them from getting it wrong again? The more we continue to give our public corporations excuses the more mediocre they get.

HUH?????? they chose the investor that had the best plan and money to back it up who turned out not to do the best job. did u want kenya railways to look into the future and see how rvr will mess up? OMG i cant even believe im responding to ur statement.:ohno:

I think its a very good idea for Africa to hv this kind of train. Africa is a large continental
and desert area that low in connection capable (highway).
And this HSR is a must for the poeple of the Africa to keep stay in touch.

a great project of course and could be deciding moment in Kenya economic hystory.... but really am afraid it can be a dream only

Kenya, Uganda sign rail deal

http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/666758/highRes/105224/-/maxw/600/-/8us7npz/-/mwak.jpg Transport minister Chirau Mwakwere. Kenya and Uganda have signed a bilateral agreement for the construction and management of a standard gauge railway line between Mombasa and Kampala. Photo/FILE
By GITONGA MARETEPosted Friday, October 2 2009 at 11:43
In Summary


Agreement requires each government to pay the cost of the construction of the line in their country.




The governments of Kenya and Uganda have signed a bilateral agreement for the construction and management of a standard gauge railway line between Mombasa and Kampala.

The signing of the agreement by Kenya Transport minister Ali Chirau Mwakwere and his Ugandan counterpart John Nasasira follows an agreement by Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Yoweri Museveni in January over establishment of the railway line.

The agreement requires each government to pay the cost of the construction of the line in their country, although the ministers neither revealed how much each government would inject in the project nor how it would be funded.

“What we know at this stage is that the project is viable,” said Mr Mwakere, adding that already, a feasibility study is being carried out, the ministers said, although they could not at the moment reveal who is doing the study.

The railway line is expected to provide a link between the two countries with branches to Kisumu and Tororo in Uganda, and later on link to Rwanda and the Southern Sudan.

“The most important thing at the moment is that the railway line is feasible and a partner is already carrying out the study and will make the preliminary designs at no cost to the two governments although it is estimated to cost $US10 million (Sh750 million),” said Mr Mwakwere.

Mr Nasasira said the region was growing at such a fast rate that there was need to come up with such projects that will benefit the entire region as a whole.

“There has been a tendency to rely on the donor community when such projects are involved but this is fear that we as a region need to overcome for the benefit of regional economies,” he said.

“We cannot continue relying on the current outdated railway line and locomotives that move at 50 kilometres per hour. Over 80 per cent of railway operations today are modern and it is even becoming difficult to obtain spare parts for the old lines,” he added.

The ministers signed the agreement after conclusion of a regional conference on Northern Corridor Transport and Trade Facilitation at the Whitesands Beach hotel.

The two-day conference brought together regional transport and port stakeholders within the East African Community and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) with their trade block, the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (Comesa).

Kenya and Uganda have been engaged in a tussle with Rift Valley Railways over a 25-year concession on the development of a reliable rail network between Mombasa port and Kampala, a matter that is in court.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/666744/-/ungkic/-/index.html

I'm actually against this sort of project. Kenya needs to prioritize and fix their metropolitan railways, which in fact probably has far greater economic gain and greater benefit for the country has a whole. This sort of fast speed train service is extremely expensive, and it's a service only the rich and foreigners will be able to afford. It's more of an image boost than actually being economically viable.

What's the distance between Nairobi and Mombassa? 500 km? Pending on the terrain that's an extremely expensive venture, honestly does Kenya really need this??? Focus on metro rail and nationwide rail connecting cities, improve that infrastructure and I'll guarantee they'll be far more of a financial gain.

Argentina had to scrap their high speed train service between Buenos Aires - Cordoba last year because it was far to expensive. And in that case it was 700 km in distance but the terrain was completely flat and ideal. Brazil will spend $12 bn to have a high speed rail service between Sao Paulo - Rio, total waste of money considering the state of our railway service in some states.

I'm actually against this sort of project. Kenya needs to prioritize and fix their metropolitan railways, which in fact probably has far greater economic gain and greater benefit for the country has a whole. This sort of fast speed train service is extremely expensive, and it's a service only the rich and foreigners will be able to afford. It's more of an image boost than actually being economically viable.

What's the distance between Nairobi and Mombassa? 500 km? Pending on the terrain that's an extremely expensive venture, honestly does Kenya really need this??? Focus on metro rail and nationwide rail connecting cities, improve that infrastructure and I'll guarantee they'll be far more of a financial gain.

Argentina had to scrap their high speed train service between Buenos Aires - Cordoba last year because it was far to expensive. And in that case it was 700 km in distance but the terrain was completely flat and ideal. Brazil will spend $12 bn to have a high speed rail service between Sao Paulo - Rio, total waste of money considering the state of our railway service in some states.

Alex, the state of the current railway network in Kenya doesnt give us much of a choice to prioritize the intercity rail network over the metropolitan rail network. The old narrow gauge network we have is hindering development not only in Kenya but also the vast hinterland it serves. Its prudent to first build a backbone from where metro lines can be added later.

a great project of course and could be deciding moment in Kenya economic hystory.... but really am afraid it can be a dream only

Trust me, this new railway network will get built. They may fall short of making it "high speed" but the standard gauge track will get built all the same. We have no choice but to build it.

http://www.nation.co.ke/business/news/-/1006/681338/-/ieoqj2z/-/index.html

Forty companies have expressed interest to design and offer advisory services for the proposed standard gauge railway line.
Kenyahttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/InsidePage.php?id=1144028791&cid=14&#) Railways Corporation Managing Director Joseph Nduva Muli said response has been positive after the bidders attended a briefing.
"I must say there are many companies in the world, which want to be associated with the construction of the standard Gauge railway line," he said.
Addressing a press conference at Travellers Hotel in Mombasa, Mr Muli said most bidders left the two- day meeting with a clear knowledge of what the corporation wants.
Uganda Railway Chief Executive, Emmanual Iyamulenya, Joster Imbuchi, Solomon Ouna and Deputy managing Director Vincent Ogonga were present.
"The companies came from Iran, Kenya, Uganda, China, Korea, Japan, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Switzerland and others Germany," he added.
Muli said the two-day bidders conference was organised to discuss the request for proposal document, which has been on sale since October.
Fast service
He said once the construction is completed it would take commuters at least four hours between Nairobi and Mombasa.
"After the completion a standard gaugeline trains will be travelling at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour for the passenger train and 120 kilometres per hour for goods train," said Muli.
This, he said, would also facilitate decongestion of at the port of Mombasa by easing transport of cargo by road.
The bidders later toured the port, and Changamwe railway yard, to give them an overview of what they are likely to meet once they won the tender. He, however, did not disclose the costs of the work.


http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/InsidePage.php?id=1144028791&cid=14&

More than 40 companies have submitted bids to offer design and transaction advisory services for the construction of a standard railway line gauge on the Northern Corridor.

The request for proposal document that has been on sale since October has attracted firms from Kenya, Uganda, China, Korea, Iran, Canada, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and South Africa among others.

Among the 40 firms who have bought the request for proposal document who attended a two-day workshop organised by the Kenya Railway Corporation include Global Railway Engineering, Consulting Engineering Services, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group and Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Other firms include Barclays Bank, Gibb Africa, the Italian Embassy, the Canadian High Commissioner for Canarail Consultants and Dar Group among others.

The Mombasa - Nairobi - Kisumu - Malaba line is one of the 3 major lines in the national railway master plan that has been developed by the corporation.

According to the time-table set by the Kenya Railway Corporation, all studies are expected to be ready by March 2011 and investors will be on board by July 2011, with the construction expected to start in November 2011.

The Mombasa - Nairobi section is scheduled for completion by 2013 and the Mombasa - Kisumu - Malaba section will be complete by 2016, according to the KRC Managing Director Nduva Muli.

“It is envisaged that the government of Uganda will also commence the construction of the section between Malaba and Kampala and a bilateral agreement to facilitate the same has been signed by the two governments,” Nduva said.

Once complete, the railway line will be able to accommodate super engine locomotives.

The railway line is currently handling only six per cent of the cargo from the port of Mombasa and its failure takes a large portion of blame for the increasing transport costs along the corridor.

It is projected that the traffic of the cargo at the port will grow to 30 million tonnes by the year 2030 from the 17 million tonnes today and the railway will be expected to deliver over 30 per cent of this.

Once identified, the transaction adviser will undertake design of the railway line which include route selection.

The advisor will also be required to develop a suitable financing, construction and operating model of the railway.

Legal reviews

The advisors will recommend legal and regulatory reviews to support the proposed model and railway operations in future.

The advisor will undertake a marketing and stakeholder’s communication through out the process.

Other tasks will include development of the bid documents and evaluation process to identify the most suitable investors.

Plans for another railway line from Lamu to Juba and from Nairobi to Addis Ababa are at an advanced stage.

Firms that pre-qualified to carry out feasibility studies on the construction of the second transport corridor submitted their proposals last week.

The Transport ministry requested proposals for consultancy studies on the development of the Lamu port and the Lamu - South Sudan - Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) which is expected to commence before the end of next year.

The project is estimated to cost $16 billion but the actual cost will only be known when the feasibility studies are complete, the project lead advisor Dr Mutule Kilonzo said.

Various countries, including Singapore, Germany, USA, China, Italy and India, have already expressed interest to fund the project.

It will take five years to construct the port and the corridor which is expected to serve Ethiopia and Southern Sudan.

The port is expected to have a total of 22 berths with a quay occupying 1000 acres.

I am still not convinced that changing the gauge from narrow to standard will necessarilly alter the effectiveness and efficiency of our rail system, unless we change the culture at KR. It's simply amazing that only 6% of goods from Mombasa travel by rail. How will this change when the gauge changes? We have lived with poor roads for so long that tranport by road was at times slower than would have been by a well run railroad, yet KR did not take advantage of this.

More than 40 companies have submitted bids to offer design and transaction advisory services for the construction of a standard railway line gauge on the Northern Corridor.

The request for proposal document that has been on sale since October has attracted firms from Kenya, Uganda, China, Korea, Iran, Canada, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and South Africa among others.

Among the 40 firms who have bought the request for proposal document who attended a two-day workshop organised by the Kenya Railway Corporation include Global Railway Engineering, Consulting Engineering Services, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group and Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Other firms include Barclays Bank, Gibb Africa, the Italian Embassy, the Canadian High Commissioner for Canarail Consultants and Dar Group among others.

The Mombasa - Nairobi - Kisumu - Malaba line is one of the 3 major lines in the national railway master plan that has been developed by the corporation.

According to the time-table set by the Kenya Railway Corporation, all studies are expected to be ready by March 2011 and investors will be on board by July 2011, with the construction expected to start in November 2011.

The Mombasa - Nairobi section is scheduled for completion by 2013 and the Mombasa - Kisumu - Malaba section will be complete by 2016, according to the KRC Managing Director Nduva Muli.

“It is envisaged that the government of Uganda will also commence the construction of the section between Malaba and Kampala and a bilateral agreement to facilitate the same has been signed by the two governments,” Nduva said.

Once complete, the railway line will be able to accommodate super engine locomotives.

The railway line is currently handling only six per cent of the cargo from the port of Mombasa and its failure takes a large portion of blame for the increasing transport costs along the corridor.

It is projected that the traffic of the cargo at the port will grow to 30 million tonnes by the year 2030 from the 17 million tonnes today and the railway will be expected to deliver over 30 per cent of this.

Once identified, the transaction adviser will undertake design of the railway line which include route selection.

The advisor will also be required to develop a suitable financing, construction and operating model of the railway.

Legal reviews

The advisors will recommend legal and regulatory reviews to support the proposed model and railway operations in future.

The advisor will undertake a marketing and stakeholder’s communication through out the process.

Other tasks will include development of the bid documents and evaluation process to identify the most suitable investors.

Plans for another railway line from Lamu to Juba and from Nairobi to Addis Ababa are at an advanced stage.

Firms that pre-qualified to carry out feasibility studies on the construction of the second transport corridor submitted their proposals last week.

The Transport ministry requested proposals for consultancy studies on the development of the Lamu port and the Lamu - South Sudan - Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) which is expected to commence before the end of next year.

The project is estimated to cost $16 billion but the actual cost will only be known when the feasibility studies are complete, the project lead advisor Dr Mutule Kilonzo said.

Various countries, including Singapore, Germany, USA, China, Italy and India, have already expressed interest to fund the project.

It will take five years to construct the port and the corridor which is expected to serve Ethiopia and Southern Sudan.

The port is expected to have a total of 22 berths with a quay occupying 1000 acres.

I am still not convinced that changing the gauge from narrow to standard will necessarilly alter the effectiveness and efficiency of our rail system, unless we change the culture at KR. It's simply amazing that only 6% of goods from Mombasa travel by rail. How will this change when the gauge changes? We have lived with poor roads for so long that tranport by road was at times slower than would have been by a well run railroad, yet KR did not take advantage of this.

^^
Honestly speaking, I think efficiency is slowly creeping into most state corporations and parastatals. Especially after they have been privatised (like KR though we are still yet to see results). That was then, and I think things will get better. Thats just my opinion.

Kenya, as an African hub needs embrace massive projects/ investments that will keep kenya and the larger African continent competitive in the
21st century.
the



~~Change comes from within!~~

An ambitious project to construct a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line has gained momentum after the opening of bids for its design.
Kenyahttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000002577&cid=14&j=&m=&d=#) Railways Managing Director Nduva Muli on Friday said the firm opened the bids from firms interested in undertaking the design services for the railway line expected to cost about Sh320 billion.
"The construction of the SGR drew closer yesterday with the opening of the bids," he said in a statement. He said 16 firms had submitted bids by Friday, though 65 companies had bought tender documents.
The opening of the bids paves the way for the evaluation process before the winning bidder is awarded the contract to undertake the design of the railway line and carry out a detailed environmental and social impact assessment.
The winning firm, which will be unveiled next month, will also be expected to develop a suitable financing, construction and operating model and recommend legal and regulatory review to support the proposed model and railway operations in future.
The railway, which will run between Mombasa and Malaba/Kisumu, is expected to meet increased demand for transport and ease pressure on roads, which account for about 80 per cent of transportation needs.
Projections indicate the volume of goods passing through Mombasa is expected to increase to 30 million tonnes by 2030 against the current 17 million tonnes.
The volume of cargo has outstripped available road and rail transport capacity, causing perennial congestion at the Mombasa Port.
Mr Muli said studies for the railway line should be completed by March, next year, while construction is expected to start in November.


http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000002577&cid=14&j=&m=&d=

^^things are moving very fast nice to hear that:cheers:

New lease of life for Kenya's 'lunatic' railway

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-14151372

The African Development Bank has just approved a £24.8m (KES 3.59bn, $39.8m) loan to help finance the rehabilitation of the dilapidated Kenya-Uganda railway.

The project involves upgrading the existing line between Mombasa on the Indian Ocean to the shores of Lake Victoria - the route once dubbed the "lunatic line" because of the high cost of building it both in terms of money and human life.

The total cost of the upgrade in Kenya will cost between £1.8bn and £3bn ($3bn to $5bn).

Mugo Kibati of Kenya's Vision 2030, an ambitious development plan for Kenya that aims to see annual growth rates of 10% over the next 20 years, said the new railway would play a key role in bringing that about.

The government is hoping to attract private, commercial investors. Mr Kibati is optimistic it can be done - just as it was more than 100 years ago when the original line was built by Britain, which in its day transformed the region.

The aim then was to create a route linking Mombasa to Uganda, the source of the Nile and to open up the "interior" of Africa.

Escalating costs led to enormous opposition to the railway. The work was dangerous and difficult. At least 2,000 workers lost their lives, many of them Indian labourers imported to East Africa to build the railway.

Man-eating lions

Lt Col Patterson's contemporary account describes how malaria, dysentery and other deadly diseases, as well as accidents and wild animals all took their toll.

"Our work was soon interrupted in a rude and startling manner," he wrote.

"Two most voracious and insatiable man-eating lions appeared upon the scene and for over nine months waged an intermittent warfare against the railway and all those connected with it in the vicinity of Tsavo."

One of many victims was the unfortunate superintendent Charles Ryall, who was dragged from his carriage and killed by a lion.

The lunatic line is now but a pale shadow of its former self. The old station building built by the British still stands proud in central Nairobi. But just outside the concourse, matatu taxis tout for passengers, who have largely deserted the trains.

For years the railway has been neglected, mismanaged and starved of funding.

The Kenya Railways Corporation still owns the line, but the railway itself is privately managed by Rift Valley Railways, a consortium of Kenyan, Ugandan and Egyptian companies, with technical expertise provided by a Brazilian company that took over the concession in 2005.

Just keeping the existing line functioning is a daunting task. Track is expensive to repair and maintain, and the railway has huge debts.

There have also been numerous derailments and delays in recent years, which makes me slightly nervous about our 15-hour, overnight trip to Mombasa.

Time warp

Inside Nairobi station, it is like stepping into a time warp. The arrivals and departures board looks as though it hasn't been updated since I first did the journey 28 years ago.

Then trains used to run every night. Now there is only one passenger train, running three times a week in each direction.

As we pull slowly out of the station shortly after 7pm, the sun is setting behind the shacks that have sprung up all along the track.
People waiting at Nairobi station In addition to long distance trains to Mombasa and Kisumu, Nairobi is also a hub for commuter services

The ticket collector tells me to close the windows and lock the doors before going to sleep. But the window doesn't shut properly, the fan doesn't work, and the lights keep going on and off.

In the restaurant car the porcelain plates have been replaced by plastic, the waiters seem tired, and the silver coffee pots are dull and battered.

Even crawling along at a top speed of 20-to-30km (12-to-18 miles) an hour, the carriage lurches and bounces so violently, eating dinner is like trying to eat and ride on a bucking horse at the same time.

Most of my fellow passengers seem to be tourists - nostalgic for the old Kenya - a time of adventure and romance, but plans for revitalising or rebuilding the railway are more concerned with trying to win back freight than passengers.

The road to the coast runs parallel with the railway for much of the route, and heavily laden trucks churn up the pot-holed tarmac, taking goods to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Congo and beyond.

Commuter network

There are plans to replace the old narrow-gauge line with a new standard gauge line over the next three to five years, with high speed trains cutting the journey time from Nairobi to Mombasa from the current 15 hours to a mere two or three.

A new commuter network in Nairobi to relieve traffic congestion is also under consideration and a new rail corridor to the north, linking a new port at Lamu in northern Kenya to Ethiopia and to Juba in oil-rich and newly independent South Sudan.

Whether the private sector will have the confidence to invest in Kenya - ranked by Transparency International as one of the most corrupt countries in the world - remains a big question.

Much of the impetus for these projects is coming from the Chinese who are already transforming and rebuilding Africa's road networks all over the continent. China is anxious about maintaining oil supplies from South Sudan.

The future of East Africa could be transformed by an efficient and modern railway system. The multi-million dollar question is whether such an ambitious project to replace the old "lunatic line" can be funded and delivered on time.

a little taste of the future

http://www.treehugger.com/n700-japanese-bullet-train-US.jpg

http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/travel/images/Shinkansen_500.jpg

now check out the speed of this, it would make you dizzy :nuts:

yGQKjueWPoc&feature=fvwrel

When i was in japan i rode on one of those; the ride is spectacular, its like a luxury train on steroids... when you are in it, it feels completely normal, smooth and calm and when you look outside, you just see building,trees and other landmarks pass by so fast. if you look above the center isle from your seat in the train, it will tell you how fast the thing is going and its usually somewhere around 200mph at top speed....

one day kenya will get here, if it keeps up its infrastructure projects going and also put their foot on the pedel to dive into vision 2030 :banana::banana::banana:

ICE photo.:lol:

The rail system really needs an upgrade. They have been dishing out contracts to shoddy investors to manage it for far too long!

Railway line to get sh1.8 billion face lift

The Mombasa-Kampala railway line is in for a Sh1.8 billion face-lift in the next one year. The project is the first of the five –year turnaround programme by the Rift Valley Railways and is being funded by the first part of a $164 million loan(Sh13.4 billion) approved by Development Funding Institutions in August last year. The Rift Valley Railways Group CEO, Mr Brown Ondego, said rehabilitation will kick off in April and is expected to improve efficiency of the trains, resulting in less travel hours.

Daily Nation 1st March 2012

Good project but, isn't the thread title misleading? 160Km/h is not high speed.

250 km/h is considered as high speed rail in Europe. It would be the standard for a new rail network here in Norway, if it's built. If they are supposed to build a completely new alignment for 100 mph / 160 km/h they might as well aim for 250 km/h.

Whats the latest news on this project, did the consultants who won the tender start the work, I'm trying to find the proposed route, I remember reading a while ago it would pass through isinya then to mai-mahiu with only a branch coming to nairobi but i cant seem to find it now, who has got the latest?

This is an old article from May last year.

China $4.6b railway deal to test Kenya’s relations with Uganda

http://www.sinoafrica.org/en/node/760

Chinese construction company, China Roads and Bridge Corporation, has successfully lobbied Kenya to pull out of a bilateral agreement signed with Uganda in October 2008.

The agreement committed the two neighbours to co-operate on the building of a modern railway link between the port of Mombasa and Kampala.

If the proposal by China Roads is accepted, it will not only precipitate diplomatic tensions, but force Uganda into seeking partnership with Tanzania and Rwanda to develop an alternative standard gauge railway link through the Central corridor in Tanzania.

On October 28, 2008, presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Mwai Kibaki of Kenya at State House, Nairobi, made an official declaration that the two countries would build a high capacity standard gauge railway link between them.

Subsequently, a bilateral agreement was signed by the respective ministries dealing with railways on October, 2, 2009 — with the countries committing to a seamless modern railway between them.

Kenya was — from its own resources — to build a standard gauge railway from Mombasa to Malaba, with Uganda building the link to Kampala.

Last year, Kenya went ahead and provided money in its annual budget to fund preliminary designs and an environmental impact assessment. Technical teams from the Kenya and Uganda governments worked together to harmonise the terms of reference for the feasibility studies in line with what had been agreed on under the bilateral agreement.

In the past two years, both countries have been trying to procure a consultant for a feasibility study on the project. However, as a result of appeals and objections by bidders, procurement of consultants by both countries have suffered major delays.

In March this year, the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) which has been procuring a consultant for the Kenyan project was about to award the job to Italian firm Italferr SPA, when the Ministry of Transport ordered them to stop the process immediately.

“Since there is no one in government who is in support of the study, there is no need to proceed with it,” said a letter by Permanent Secretary Dr Cyrus Njiru to the managing direct of KRC, Nduva Muli. “I have been directed to advise you not to go ahead with this study as this is not consistent with the consensus within government.

These latest developments offer insight into the lobbying tactics and exploits by Chinese companies. It would appear that even as KRC technical officers and their Ugandan counterparts were working on the feasibility study — drawing terms of references and holding joint meetings — the Chinese were quietly plotting their own move.

Away from the limelight, the Chinese had signed a memorandum of understanding with then Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere — in which they promised to assist in facilitating a government-to-government deal supported by concessional loans from the Chinese government.

Kenya and Uganda in talks with China over joint railway

http://test.trademarkea.com/kenya-and-uganda-in-talks-with-china-over-joint-railway/?doing_wp_cron=1348050574.6528489589691162109375

Kenya and Uganda are jointly negotiating with China to fund and construct a new standard gauge railway that will connect the two countries.
Transport minister Amos Kimunya said Kenya was in talks with China to facilitate the construction of a new line between Mombasa and Malaba, which is expected to improve the speed of cargo movement by up to three times.

The government of Uganda is also negotiating for funds to construct the stretch of the line that runs into its territory from the border point of Malaba.

“Negotiations with the Chinese are ongoing and we anticipate that work could commence by year end,” the minister told attendants at a luncheon hosted by the Kenya Ports Authority in Nairobi.

The new rail line is aimed at shifting traffic from roads to high-speed trains that are more efficient in the movement of goods from Mombasa port to several destinations across the country as well neighbouring nations.

Transport accounts for close to 40 per cent of the total cost of doing business in Kenya. “A revamped railway will enhance overall efficiency of rail operations and increase quality and quantity of rolling stock,” Mr Kimunya said.

Though he did not indicate the amount of money targeted for the railway, insiders said the system would require about $4 billion (Sh336 billion), according to findings of a previous feasibility study.

Analysts said that the current metre-gauge railway lines being used in East Africa has become obsolete resulting in high operation costs and minimal returns for business men. This has also put a strain on roads as traders opt for trucks to move their cargo.

Mr Kimunya said that once completed, the new line would take up about 70 per cent of the total cargo being moved by railway.

The rest of the cargo would be moved through the current line that is jointly operated by the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) and Rift Valley Railways (RVR), which is refurbishing the railway line from Mombasa to Nairobi.

“The upgrading of the railway will increase line speeds from the current 25 to 30 kilometres per hour to 70 kilometres per hour,” Mr Kimunya said.

RVR, majority-owned by Egypt-based private equity firm Citadel Capital, recently received $49 million in loans for use partly in the replacement of sections of the line between Mombasa port and Nairobi. The repair work has already began on a 70 km stretch.

Other members of the East African Community (EAC) are also planning standard gauge railway lines to boost transport efficiency under a master plan prepared through the bloc’s secretariat.

According to the blueprint that also seeks to rope in Ethiopia and Southern Sudan, Tanzania would be the largest beneficiary of the deal with eight new standard gauge lines linking it with Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.

High-speed line

Kenya will have two SG railway lines running from the coastal town of Lamu to Juba and Addis Ababa. One of the railway lines will connect the northern border town of Garissa with the Ethiopian capital while the other will connect Lamu to Juba through Garissa.
It is estimated that $180 million will be required to restore the region’s railway performance to where it was 20 years ago.

Apart from the EAC states, Nigeria, and South Africa are also stepping up efforts to adopt SG railway lines.

The West African nation plans to construct a new 8,000 kilometre SG line, while South Africa has proposed a similar high-speed line between Johannesburg and Pretoria.

If there is a sector that we are doing absolutely nothing, its the railways. This thread was started three years ago and not much has changed.

This Is The Latest News According To The East African :-

Kenya, China quietly strike deal on modern railway line

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/8013148094_407f07db7a_z.jpg

IN SUMMARY


The railway line, which is to be built according to Chinese railway design standards, will carry freight trains at speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour, and passenger trains at up to 120 kilometres per hour.
It will be completed in five years, with the cost of the track alone estimated at a massive $2.6 billion.
Away from the limelight, the Chinese construction company — China Roads and Bridges Company — has already signed a commercial contract with the Kenya Railways Corporation, under an arrangement that commits the state-owned company to deal only with the Chinese company.
The new deal will have far-reaching implications for the existing concession agreed to with Rift Valley Railway in both Uganda and Kenya.
The new plan is that the Chinese-built railway will be operated under an arrangement known as “open access,” where multiple operators will be allowed to operate freight businesses on the standard gauge railway system in competition with RVR.
Kenya and Uganda could find themselves in court battling it out with RVR over access to the new railway line. Kenya has stepped up diplomatic activity to include Uganda in its dealings with the Chinese and secure support for the new railway.
The rate at which Kenya is building up Chinese export credit in its loan book has sparked a debate within international lending circles, questioning whether the Chinese contractor-negotiated deals could lead to an unsustainable build-up in the country’s external debt portfolio.


For the complete story and SOURCE : - http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Kenya+China+quietly+strike+deal+on+modern+railway+line/-/2558/1514666/-/item/2/-/m2p88n/-/index.html

IN SUMMARY

The railway line, which is to be built according to Chinese railway design standards, will carry freight trains at speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour, and passenger trains at up to 120 kilometres per hour.
It will be completed in five years, with the cost of the track alone estimated at a massive $2.6 billion.
Away from the limelight, the Chinese construction company — China Roads and Bridges Company — has already signed a commercial contract with the Kenya Railways Corporation, under an arrangement that commits the state-owned company to deal only with the Chinese company.
The new deal will have far-reaching implications for the existing concession agreed to with Rift Valley Railway in both Uganda and Kenya.
The new plan is that the Chinese-built railway will be operated under an arrangement known as “open access,” where multiple operators will be allowed to operate freight businesses on the standard gauge railway system in competition with RVR.
Kenya and Uganda could find themselves in court battling it out with RVR over access to the new railway line. Kenya has stepped up diplomatic activity to include Uganda in its dealings with the Chinese and secure support for the new railway.
The rate at which Kenya is building up Chinese export credit in its loan book has sparked a debate within international lending circles, questioning whether the Chinese contractor-negotiated deals could lead to an unsustainable build-up in the country’s external debt portfolio.

WHAT!! Now that Kenya is not crying on her knees to you to lend her money and going to a more willing and flexible lender, now you have a problem with it??
And Wanjiku thinks Ukoloni was dealt with by Mau Mau. Please stop and enjoy your money in the west.

The railway line, which is to be built according to Chinese railway design standards, will carry freight trains at speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour, and passenger trains at up to 120 kilometres per hour. It will be completed in five years, with the cost of the track alone estimated at a massive $2.6 billion.


Hi i've been following this board and developments in Kenya for many years, I decided to join. If this project is going to take 5 years and cost Ksh 357 billion, then we better get value for our money. Taxes, tolls, and all manner of fees are about to hit Kenyans. Trains going 80 km/hr is not high speed rail.:ohno: We are talking 2017/18 completion we should have modern rail by then especially if we are paying that much money. We need 80 mph not 80 km/hr. People need to think long term 30-50 years. :bash:

You're right... 120km/h is slow. 200km/h is the lowest limit of 'high speed'.

I hope the Chinese don't mess around with their "Chinese railway design standards". The track better be Standard Gauge with trains operating on the left-hand-side.

Hi i've been following this board and developments in Kenya for many years, I decided to join. If this project is going to take 5 years and cost Ksh 357 billion, then we better get value for our money. Taxes, tolls, and all manner of fees are about to hit Kenyans. Trains going 80 km/hr is not high speed rail.:ohno: We are talking 2017/18 completion we should have modern rail by then especially if we are paying that much money. We need 80 mph not 80 km/hr. People need to think long term 30-50 years. :bash:

Cosign.

120 km/h max for over $3b. That doesn't sound like a good deal. 150 km should be the limit.

+200 is the way to go at that much money. 2018 will not value 120 km . Maglev tech will be on the table by that time

The deal is already under revision by parliament i believe..

BTW The report says it will first handle diesel trains( 80km to 120km per hour speeds hauling cargo) then move on to electric(180km to 220km hauling passengers or cargo) which will also increase track speeds and i believe the chinese will look into.. We will get bullet trains in kenya by 2020 probably either japanese or chinese

Adama, I think things are just going too slow, we'll be very lucky if we get a bullet train by 2020.

The deal is already under revision by parliament i believe..

BTW The report says it will first handle diesel trains( 80km to 120km per hour speeds hauling cargo) then move on to electric(180km to 220km hauling passengers or cargo) which will also increase track speeds and i believe the chinese will look into.. We will get bullet trains in kenya by 2020 probably either japanese or chinese

True I remember reading that but forgot to include it. If that's the case then I suppose it isn't as bad so long the upgrade isn't costly and is done in a few years.

And I doubt Kenya will have bullet trains by 2020. They would require their own tracks apart from the currently planned and existing. Not to mention the cost of maintenance. That'd be too expensive for now. I think 2025-2030 bullet trains would be feasible.

Adama, I think things are just going too slow, we'll be very lucky if we get a bullet train by 2020.

Addis Ababa Connecting Nairobi + extensions it can possible if the RVR can woo investors and we live uncomfortably for a while but we can do it

True I remember reading that but forgot to include it. If that's the case then I suppose it isn't as bad so long the upgrade isn't costly and is done in a few years.

And I doubt Kenya will have bullet trains by 2020. They would require their own tracks apart from the currently planned and existing. Not to mention the cost of maintenance. That'd be too expensive for now. I think 2025-2030 bullet trains would be feasible.


Everything is all planned out once the rail sector picks up hauling cargo and it reaches a certain quota then the line will be upgraded to electric( power projects in the country will be already online)

The Addis Ababa- Nairobi connections with a bullet train is very feasible, kenya is a small country and the cost will be very low( economy will be booming, oil money will be pumping etc)

Even 120kph will be a massive upgrade from the current 40kph.

Even 120kph will be a massive upgrade from the current 40kph.

^^:lol::lol::lol: Thats so true! But I hope they maintain the current trains, they can be used for tourism purposes.

^^ They will this is an entirely new rail line.. the mombasa- Kisumu is already getting upgraded and those old niche trains will just need a bigger axle to run on the new tracks

May God help kenyans vote the right persons or we will continue discussing dreams

You have the power Kinyakankick vote for who is right use the young people to push for the right candidate and the rest will follow.. University students yield so much power all they have to do is use it

You have the power Kinyakankick vote for who is right use the young people to push for the right candidate and the rest will follow.. University students yield so much power all they have to do is use it

If only PK had started his campaigns and strongly so. Letting people know he is out there. He is the Kenyan Obama :))

^^ he still has a lot of time till the march elections if he can rise up in the polls if Kenyans like you and me started informing our families and friends back home on how good the guy is and what he can bring to the table and telling them to spread the word around villages and we will see this man rise to help us all

The track design speeds are lot way higher than that, for passenger trains, a design speed of 160km/hr will be used while that of freight trains will be 120 km/hr. But Operating speeds will be definitely lower than that.

The design standards to be applied here are AREMA standards. The horizontal curvatures are expected to be having a radius of at least 850 m and ideally 1700 m with the ruling gradient being 1.2% (maximum gradient).

The deal signed this week with a Chinese firm was shrouded in secrecy....Something is not adding up

See story here:
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Kenya+China+quietly+strike+deal+on+modern+railway+line/-/2558/1514666/-/23uqqsz/-/index.html

Africans and big talk. We dont even have bullet trains in the UK.

I guess Kenya doesnt have enough reliable electricity yet for electric lines. A country needs 100% reliable electricity (so a surplus of power) for this to be feasible. Very few SS African nations have achieved that though I know Ghana will have quite a big surplus of power soon.

If only PK had started his campaigns and strongly so. Letting people know he is out there.

absolutely! i really do believe that this man can lead kenya out of the political abyss. but sadly, i just dont think this election is his time. i expect him in 2017 to really be a prominent national politician and inturn get into state house and clean up the mess

Africans and big talk. We dont even have bullet trains in the UK.

I guess Kenya doesnt have enough reliable electricity yet for electric lines. A country needs 100% reliable electricity (so a surplus of power) for this to be feasible. Very few SS African nations have achieved that though I know Ghana will have quite a big surplus of power soon.

We already have a ton of power project already in the works + we will be buying extra power from Ethiopia

We already have a ton of power project already in the works + we will be buying extra power from Ethiopia

well until you actually have reliable power then you cant have electric trains.

I am trying to get my heads around this one. How will this affect the possibility of resuming transport on the line heading to Uganda via Eldoret? To me it seems that the first priority should be on getting the lines already in place back to acceptable speeds before commencing new large-scale projects. Money must be managed wisely, especially in countries where resources are scarce.

Citadel Capital today says it plans to build a railway line from Cairo to Mombasa according to the CCTV news channel.This might be a different line from the one going to Uganda,if they want to have factories in Ethiopia,as the Cape to Cairo Railway bypasses Ethiopia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_to_Cairo_Railway

http://www.wap.ratio-magazine.com/inner.php?id=2161

Citadel is already actively pursuing agribusiness investments in Ethiopia through its platform company Gozour. Gozour announced this month that it wants to start contract farming raw materials for use in its food processing factories in Egypt and distribution to Egyptian and eastern African markets. Gozuor says it may set up processing plants in Ethiopia in the future. But the current focus seems to be on sourcing raw commodities, for which Gozuor is also eying Uganda and Kenya.

^^
That will be even better, i hope they make it to be a bullet train faster travel from Cape town to Cario and then it can spread from there. Its time to connect africa

Kenya as usual

they dont talk

they deliver

end of.

The Kenya Railways Corporation will soon begin the upgrade of its lunatic express running from the Port city of Mombasa to Malaba on the Kenya -Uganda border. The 1,300KM five-year project will cost US$2.4 billion. The upgrade to standard gauge rail, will increase train speed to 80KPH for passenger trains and 120 Km for freighters.

http://eaers.blogspot.com/2012/10/kenya-to-begin-us24-bn-railway-upgrade.html

If there is a new rail line connecting Mombasa, Nairobi, and Malaba, would this mean that the railway stations at Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, and Kisumu would have to be rebuilt to international standards?

If there is a new rail line connecting Mombasa, Nairobi, and Malaba, would this mean that the railway stations at Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, and Kisumu would have to be rebuilt to international standards?

I don't believe there are international standards, they are our standards really. Just that sometimes we do cheaper things which fail to meet even our own expected standards because maybe we lack money or something.

If there is a new rail line connecting Mombasa, Nairobi, and Malaba, would this mean that the railway stations at Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, and Kisumu would have to be rebuilt to international standards?

Yes, All of them will be rebuilt into mini railway cities that will cater to international travelers and local consumers. In the Mini railway cities will have 4 to 5 star restaurants, two hotels, big railway terminus, few office blocks, cafes, and shops..

If the Nairobi Railway Station were rebuilt to international standards, it would serve the commuter rail lines and the proposed Mombasa-malaba rail line. How many platforms and tracks should the rebuilt station have, just a few?

If the Nairobi Railway Station were rebuilt to international standards, it would serve the commuter rail lines and the proposed Mombasa-malaba rail line. How many platforms and tracks should the rebuilt station have, just a few?

The logical solution would be to have several levels, with one or several floors for the commuter rail, and one for the national railway line.

http://www.google.co.ke/url?url=http://www.cbcglobal.org/images/uploads/library/KIS2012_Nairobi_Commuter_Rail_and_Railway_Cities_Projects_Nduva_Muli.pdf&rct=j&sa=U&ei=UoW5ULWKGoiJ0AWi0ICADA&ved=0CBsQFjAC&q=+nairobi+mombasa+kisumu+chinese+r+to+build+raiway+cities&usg=AFQjCNGB--UNZpMcZKoV7g2i9KDreJaAUA

This line will cost $6 BN

found this article in the business daily..can't believe they haven't started this already :gaah:


The Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway, whose construction starts next year, is set to open up at least 40 business centres but divert business from the road to the port city. Construction of the line is estimated to cost Sh340 billion ($4 billion), according to disclosures contained in a regulatory filing. Kenya is planning to build 40 stations along the line, 33 of them once the railway becomes operational.

(Read: New commuter rail service to ease traffic jam)

Construction is expected to take five years beginning July next year through June 2018, with the railway running through Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Taita-Taveta, Makueni, Kajiado, Machakos and Nairobi counties and opening up remote areas. However, some towns will face challenges because they depend on long-distance truck drivers as a key source of revenue.

“Towns and market centres which depend on long distance trucks for business opportunities will experience an economic downfall… In areas where the proposed railway takes a new route, there will be growth of towns, businesses and market centres leading to growth of the local economy,” says the document.

The railway, on which trains will travel at a maximum speed of between 80 and 120 kilometres an hour, runs parallel to the Nairobi–Mombasa road and will be used alongside the existing one operated by Kenya Railways Corporation and Rift Valley Railways.

It is designed for four and six passenger locomotives for short and long distance respectively, and will also accommodate 56 and 100 freight trains for short and long haul respectively.

The line is expected to reduce pressure on roads as the current railway can only handle six per cent of cargo from the Mombasa port. The rest has to be hauled by road which is unsustainable.

According to a report by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), people living along the proposed railway route are optimistic that the project will create employment opportunities.

“Job opportunities will arise at the 33 terminals which will be created, in the trains, and maintenance workshops. This will be a source of income for individuals and households and hence is expected to boost the economy and improve the living standards of Kenyans,” notes the report. The report notes that participants in these meetings were optimistic that business opportunities will arise during construction of the railway project.

Small scale businesspeople such as food vendors and kiosk owners should be kept busy through the building period. The 33 new terminals will lead to creation of new towns or the revitalisation of existing old towns leading to new business opportunities.

“Mining of building materials, especially the Mazeras flat stones, will greatly improve due to cheap and affordable transport,” notes the report.

I saw this today (read 11.12.2012) appearing on Daily Nation newspaper. This article is rather confusing or simply it is an OLD Court CASE by considering the fact the Chinese are working on the Mombasa- Nairobi section

http://www.nation.co.ke/Features/smartcompany/Study-on-new-rail-line-to-go-on/-/1226/1640004/-/eson7tz/-/index.html

The High Court has given the green light for a study on the upgrade of a modern high capacity standard gauge railway line between Mombasa and Malaba with a branch line to Kisumu.

The Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) can now go ahead with procuring consultants for preliminary design and environmental and social impact assessment for the development of the new rail line.

This follows the High Court’s dismissal of an application by Gibb Africa/Carnarail Consultants, which had asked the court to review the decision reached by the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB), which had allowed KRC to award the consultancy services to another firm, Italferr SPA.

Lost the bid

Gibb Africa/Carnarail Consultants, which had lost the bid, asked the board to nullify the process, accusing KRC of failing to follow the prescribed evaluation criteria in awarding the tender to Italferr SPA.

In the proceedings before the procurement review board, Gibb Africa/Carnarail Consultants listed several grounds why they wanted the tender award to Italferr SPA cancelled.

However, the board declined the request and instead ruled that KRC should go ahead with the process as it had not found any anomaly.

The PPARB was established in 2005 to promote and uphold fairness in public procurement through judicious and impartial adjudication of matters arising from disputed proceedings.

While delivering his judgment, Mr Justice Weldon Korir said the procurement board is a public body established under the provisions of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 with well spelt out roles and that the High Court cannot replace such roles.

He added that the High Court’s decision would only be limited to assessing whether PPARB applied the three tests of legality, rationality, and procedural propriety so as to offer a fair decision to the affected parties.

Gave its reasons

“I find that PPARB did not make any absurd conclusion that would warrant the intervention of this court. There is no evidence placed before the court by the applicant to show that the decision by PPARB was unreasonable since PPARB clearly gave reasons for its decision,” said Mr Justice Korir.

The consultancy services being sought by KRC are expected to take between eight months and a year and have the objective to provide information that will facilitate the development of a modern standard gauge railway line linking the three towns.

Key elements of the study include traffic and revenue forecasts, infrastructure design, legal, and regulatory studies.

What will happen to the old railway and locos because thats heratige and the luntic line is fantastic will that stay but become only tourist or completly be destroyed :(
+will it be one rail or 2 for both directions?

What will happen to the old railway and locos because thats heratige and the luntic line is fantastic will that stay but become only tourist or completly be destroyed :(
+will it be one rail or 2 for both directions?

They will be fully retired and put on display on the Railway museum which will also receive a overhaul.

The rail will have 2 tracks

No really thats a shame, wish they left it open for tourist .would have been fantastic real shame hope they change there minds
Bt good about the reavation on the musem

^^ probably a few axles will be changed to standard rail gauge..

ahh thats a good idea

http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Cost-of-imports-to-rise-on-rail-development-levy/-/539546/1882346/-/ul6qtaz/-/index.html

^^at least lets see something moving :cheers: