Meter-Gauge Refurbishment | Nairobi - Nanyuki | 235km | $250million | Complete

50990 Views 215 Replies 45 Participants Last post by Kenguy, 7 d ago

Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · Nov 11, 2017

I decided to make this thread so we can follow the process of having the Nairobi- Nanyuki meter gauge refurbished at a costing of $250million dollars. The governors of central Kenya met last week to discuss the process forward to have the railway refurbished as its an untapped asset into a market of 7 million people and have pledged each 100million to fund a technical report on the way forward. Though these are not new plans RVR as early back as 2000 was planning to refurbish all of the meter gauge rail lines in Kenya.

Technical Analysis

The rail distance between Nairobi - Nanyuki is about 235.43 Km and the track is meter gauge/narrow gauge in some sections. They're about 22 stations along the track in need of serious modernization.

Track rail dimensions

Nairobi-Thika is about 50 lb per yard this means the rail on this section is meter gauge and can only accommodate 90-100 tons of net weight per mile of the track....

Thika-Nanyuki is about 80 lb per yard and this section of rail is meter gauge(1000m) and can accommodate 140 tons of net weight per mile of the track.

I could find much information about the track curvature.

source

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Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · #2 · Nov 11, 2017

Obviously Central doesn't have the funds to do this project. So the counties are going to have to team up and start a consortium with a Kenyan or International company that will allow them to lobby the world bank to give them funds to build the railroad. I see the potential of this Rail Line because it will easily connect to Lappset in the future if it's built in a way that it can be easily upgraded.

I hope they'll use concrete sleepers with a provision to later be upgraded to SGR in the future.

Local sleeper manufacturing plants will ensure youths get jobs.

The railroad will bring many benefits to the people of the region so i hope the governors are going to be serious and roll this project out in a couple years.

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Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 11, 2017

They owe it to Dr. Gakuru Wahome to bring this dream to fruition.

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andegwa

· #4 · Nov 11, 2017

Adm.Adama said:
Obviously Central doesn't have the funds to do this project. So the counties are going to have to team up and start a consortium with a Kenyan or International company that will allow them to lobby the world bank to give them funds to build the railroad. I see the potential of this Rail Line because it will easily connect to Lappset in the future if it's built in a way that it can be easily upgraded.

I hope they'll use concrete sleepers with a provision to later be upgraded to SGR in the future.

Local sleeper manufacturing plants will ensure youths get jobs.

The railroad will bring many benefits to the people of the region so i hope the governors are going to be serious and roll this project out in a couple years.

Thanks for starting up this thread...

I believe the term you were looking for is Dual Gauge i.e. a line of track that accommodates multiple gauges; in this case meter and standard gauge. This is a fairly common line in some areas esp. western and central Europe, and Asia/Oceania:

^^Lithuania

^^Switzerland

^^Australia

On the financial matters, the Mombasa to Nairobi SGR section cost ~ $12.45 million / mile to construct assuming the $3.7 billion price tag is correct (includes rolling stock, overpasses, all the crossing stations, comms equipment and infrastructure, land acquisition etc. etc). Taking this construction rate into account, a similarly constructed line over the Nairobi to Nanyuki line would go for $1.89 billion.. Removing the cost of land acquisition, rolling stock, overpasses etc. and you are prob. looking at ~ksh 900 billion track.

In other words, the Kshs. 25 billion will likely only provide the barest minimum of line upgrades to bring this track back to operability. I'd be very surprised if they are able to upgrade any of the stations, signalling, buy rolling stock with that -- unless they drastically raise their proposed budget.

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Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 11, 2017

Yes I meant dual gauge. I like the Australia/Switzerland comparisons and that would make the track very easy to intergrate when the Lapsset rail takes off.

Atanas Maina came up with the 25 Bn figure which I know is not enough I guess he was going to sell them the current RVR rolling stock.

My estimates were easily around a billion dollars which I think with funding from AFBD, World Bank, GOK, and a private investor that amount can easily be raised have the rail constructed. Maybe it will spur the other counties to do the same and own a piece of the rail that traverses there counties.

Right now that 100million they’re contributing I hope will go into building a solid proposals into a ESIA report that will get the attention of people.

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andegwa

· #6 · Nov 11, 2017

Adm.Adama said:
My estimates were easily around a billion dollars which I think with funding from AFBD, World Bank, GOK, and a private investor that amount can easily be raised have the rail constructed. Maybe it will spur the other counties to do the same and own a piece of the rail that traverses there counties.

Remove World Bank from the equation right off the bat.. we know how they are whenever it comes to funding capital projects.

Developing the Nairobi - Nanyuki route is imperative to unlock the full potential of both the Northern and LAPSSET corridors. Ditto to the Lamu - Mombasa route. It is why the government has earmarked to expand the Nairobi - Thika - Nyeri - Isiolo highway to a dual carriageway - this will prob. be launched next year assuming the current political impasse is solved.

However, I just don't see how the govt. will fund this rail project with all the other projects on going, even with AfDB providing some funding relief. I hope I'm wrong on this.

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Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · #7 · Nov 11, 2017

andegwa said:
Remove World Bank from the equation right off the bat.. we know how they are whenever it comes to funding capital projects.

Developing the Nairobi - Nanyuki route is imperative to unlock the full potential of both the Northern and LAPSSET corridors. Ditto to the Lamu - Mombasa route. It is why the government has earmarked to expand the Nairobi - Thika - Nyeri - Isiolo highway to a dual carriageway - this will prob. be launched next year assuming the current political impasse is solved.

However, I just don't see how the govt. will fund this rail project with all the other projects on going, even with AfDB providing some funding relief. I hope I'm wrong on this.

I guess I was being optimistic about the WB they wanted setback the Turkana Wind Project by decades of bureaucracy.

I'll give out my best funding estimates

%5 by all the 7 counties
%10 by GOK
%20-25 by AfDB
%10 by private investors

The remaining %50 or so will have to be funded by either deep pocketed. banks, bonds, etc.

My biggest hope is to see the tourism circuit will get the biggest boast especially for tourists wanting to spend quality time at all the famous destinations from Treetops, to the Aberdares, to Fairmount, to trout fishing along the various mount streams, mountain climbing etc.

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rongaiguy

· #8 · Nov 12, 2017

andegwa said:
Thanks for starting up this thread...

I believe the term you were looking for is Dual Gauge i.e. a line of track that accommodates multiple gauges; in this case meter and standard gauge. This is a fairly common line in some areas esp. western and central Europe, and Asia/Oceania:

^^Lithuania

^^Switzerland

^^Australia

On the financial matters, the Mombasa to Nairobi SGR section cost ~ $12.45 million / mile to construct assuming the $3.7 billion price tag is correct (includes rolling stock, overpasses, all the crossing stations, comms equipment and infrastructure, land acquisition etc. etc). Taking this construction rate into account, a similarly constructed line over the Nairobi to Nanyuki line would go for $1.89 billion.. Removing the cost of land acquisition, rolling stock, overpasses etc. and you are prob. looking at ~ksh 900 billion track.

In other words, the Kshs. 25 billion will likely only provide the barest minimum of line upgrades to bring this track back to operability. I'd be very surprised if they are able to upgrade any of the stations, signalling, buy rolling stock with that -- unless they drastically raise their proposed budget.

These are really nice. I agree that the governors in this project should consider its future adaptability to the standard guage locomotives, while similarly promoting the existing metre guage ones.

Similarly good work should be done on the stations.
I think bearing funds, what had been done by Kibaki on the Imara Daima and Syokimau commuter Railway stations would be okay. Of course with digital features.

Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · #9 · Nov 13, 2017

The video is in both Swahili and Kikuyu

I'll translate.

So the people they're interviewing are reminiscent of when the railroad was working and how business was good and how they were able to ride the train. They say the railroad was built for transporting livestock from white ranchers to be slaughtered in Nairobi.

They're happy for the possibility of having the rail renewed and want it to be returned and it benefits there business and the youths. Because the cost of transporting their livestock to Nairobi is very expensive so they're left to use bodabodas, small saloon cars and renting a truck is very expensive and only the guys with money can afford to do so. But with the train returned then everyone will be able to benefit with transporting of cows, camels, goats, sheep, and even fresh produce.

Atanas Maina says that the infrastructure is in very good shape and has not been vandalized. The track is in need of ballast and tampering, the track will need to be realigned and new bolts added to the track. Also, the rolling stock KR uses is outdated so new trains will have to be bought so they can carry a lot more tonnage.... In my own opinion, i wouldn't want KR running this line it has to be run by a partnership between a private business and the counties just like the Magadi line.

They make a joke that the rail ended in Nanyuki because the mzungu lost the survey map and didn't want to venture further north.:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Also if you guys watch the video you can see the Centum CEO James Mworia with Igathe so i trust these guys being involved will get some chains moving in the right direction.

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Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · #10 · Nov 13, 2017

Kiambu County

Residents want the railway to return, and say the rail was built in a very smart way to transport goods like coffee. The offices and equipment are still present like in good condition like it was when it was closed.

Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · #11 · Nov 13, 2017

Kirinyaga County

andegwa

· #12 · Nov 13, 2017 (Edited)

Adm.Adama said:
They make a joke that the rail ended in Nanyuki because the mzungu lost the survey map and didn't want to venture further north.:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Also if you guys watch the video you can see the Centum CEO James Mworia with Igathe so i trust these guys being involved will get some chains moving in the right direction.

Good work on the translation.. looks like you haven't lost your Kikuyu. Just to expand on the bolded line (From 9:43 in the video), the KR MD claims that the colonialists were smitten with the ladies in the area, and because of this, they "conveniently" lost the map and settled in Nanyuki as the end point of this spur of the rail-line :nuts::lol:

Looking at the videos posted, it appears that the route is in relatively good condition.. surprisingly, there appears to be little to no vandalism of the facilities, despite lack of use. Should be interesting to see how they execute this effort.

Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · #13 · Nov 13, 2017

andegwa said:
Good work on the translation.. looks like you haven't lost your Kikuyu. Just to expand on the bolded line (From 9:43 in the video), the KR MD claims that the colonialists were smitten with the ladies in the area, and because of this, they "conveniently" lost the map and settled in Nanyuki as the end point of this spur of the rail-line :nuts::lol:

Looking at the videos posted, it appears that the route is in relatively good condition.. surprisingly, there appears to be little to no vandalism of the facilities, despite lack of use. Should be interesting to see how they execute this effort.

I can barely speak it but i can understand it very well.

That makes the story even funnier :lol::lol::lol:

Indeed just covered by lots of overgrown plants. Michuki tired to revive it back in 03 but KR used the train once and closed the route.

hno:

Lots of industries grew because of the rail and it looks like that wealth creation was sabotaged.

constructionist

· #14 · Nov 17, 2017

Did i hear well the part about goats in Nairobi eating paper bags?

sleekpiano

· #15 · Nov 17, 2017

Its sad that we are in 2017 and we are talking of plans of restoring colonial era infrastructure. It appears even though the colonialist where brutal, in terms of infrastructure they where foreward thinking. One would wonder why this railway service was let to die. I think it was sabotage. Its a pity that things like food costs are high because of poor infrastructure that ends up making the end consumer in urban areas pay a premium for farm produces.

All is not lost, I hope they restore this and all other railway connections in the country.

african

· #16 · Nov 20, 2017

Its a nice idea I hope the refurbishment happens fast and I also hope that governors from other parts of Kenya adopt the idea so that the whole country can be connected by rail.

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jeremyt

· #17 · Jan 14, 2018

Centum to lead Sh25bn railway project

Investment company Centum Ltd is being lined up to play the leading role in the proposed Sh25 billion revamping of the Nairobi-Nanyuki railway line.

Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu told the Sunday Nation that other players in the project are the central government, Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC) and 10 county governments in Mt Kenya region.

He said Centum has been picked as the lead partner owing to its “sound and honest development pacts and which shares the dream of realising the immense benefits to be accrued in the full implementation of the project.”

A call to Centum Investment Ltd marketing department confirmed to be in the know of the project but added that it was premature to give an authoritative position so far given the intricacies involved.

The firm said once involved parties put their project implementation structures in motion, and seek partnership, it will be addressed.

Counties involved are Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Laikipia, Nyandarua, Nairobi, Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Nyeri and Meru.

Mr Waititu said talks have not been derailed by the death of Governor Wahome Gakuru (Nyeri) who died a day after he had chaired a stakeholders retreat to lay down the roll out plan.

He said so far negotiations are at an advanced stage and “soon notices will be released to the public detailing the implementation roadmap.”

He said the project will take six months to complete

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Adm.Adama

Discussion Starter · #18 · Dec 15, 2018

These Chinese DMU's recently sold to Sudan by CRRC Ziyang Co. Would be a great train to introduce on some of the meter gauge lines across the country especially in needs of connecting Eldoret to Nakuru, Nanyuki to Nairobi etc.

With obvious track alignments, replacement of sleepers with concrete ones and line rebuilding. The meter gauge would be able to give SGR level service with these trains traveling 120km per hour. Thus removing a ton of stress from the mountain treks and rift valley escapades.

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Kenya Patriot

· #19 · Dec 15, 2018

^^^ That's a beautiful train. Congratulations to Sudan.

Kenguy

· #20 · Dec 17, 2018

Adm.Adama said:
These Chinese DMU's recently sold to Sudan by CRRC Ziyang Co. Would be a great train to introduce on some of the meter gauge lines across the country especially in needs of connecting Eldoret to Nakuru, Nanyuki to Nairobi etc.

With obvious track alignments, replacement of sleepers with concrete ones and line rebuilding. The meter gauge would be able to give SGR level service with these trains traveling 120km per hour. Thus removing a ton of stress from the mountain treks and rift valley escapades.

^^
You have no idea how it feels doing those long journeys by road then noticing a rail track every few kilometers and wishing to yourself how it would be like if we had a fast reliable SGR like service connecting the Rift and Mt Kenya circuits.

It always gets to me traveling from Eldoret to Nyeri especially on roads known for catastrophic accidents. Really wish the old meter gauge lines get revamped with proper passenger services.

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