Cost comparison SGR Kenya vs SGR Tanzania

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Yapi Merkezi's electric locomotives ready to be deployed in Tanzania from 17th of February 2022 for testing of SGR infrastructure

Mbona hazina Rangi ya TRC

 

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Kenya Railways buys seven passenger trains for Nairobi-Kisumu​

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11 2022

Passengers alight at Kisumu Railways Station. FILE PHOTO | NMG

By GERALD ANDAE
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SUMMARY​

• The company says the trains, which have been procured from China, will arrive in Kenya at the end of next month. The cost of the locomotives was not revealed.
• The locomotives will come as a boost to the recently rehabilitated metre gauge railway that has seen Kenya Railways introduce train to Kisumu once weekly.
• The Kisumu Railway Station was recently constructed after the government reclaimed land from artisans and fishmongers.

Kenya Railways has bought seven passenger locomotives to be used between Nairobi and Kisumu as the parastatal seeks to increase frequencies to three on the route and extend commuter services to Butere.

The company says the trains, which have been procured from China, will arrive in Kenya at the end of next month. The cost of the locomotives was not revealed.

The locomotives will come as a boost to the recently rehabilitated metre gauge railway that has seen Kenya Railways introduce train to Kisumu once weekly.

Kenya railways regional manager for Kisumu Michael Disi sayid there has been an increase in demand for passengers on the route, hence the need to increase the frequencies.

“The seven passenger locomotives that we have procured from China are almost complete and we shall receive them by the end of March and we intend to start using them in April.”

“The purchase of the locomotives has been necessitated by the demonstrated increase of passengers from the two regions who are willing to use the railway line,” said Mr Disi.


The train has so far ferried over 2,000 passengers since it started operations last year in December.

He said an increase in frequencies on the route will be convenient to passengers as they can now plan their trips accordingly as opposed to the current single train that plies the route on Friday from Nairobi.

“We shall be having two trains on the line, when one is departing Nairobi, another one is leaving Kisumu. These trains will ensure that passengers can travel at night from Kisumu to Nairobi and return in the evening after finishing their business,” said the official.

The Kisumu Railway Station was recently constructed after the government reclaimed land from artisans and fishmongers. The small traders will be moved to the 17-acre Uhuru Business Park market complex that is yet to be commissioned.

The extension of the Kisumu-Butere route will come as a major boost to passengers travelling to regions like Mumias as they will enjoy the convenience of the train. The route, according to Mr Ndisi, is 90 percent complete.

Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna said the upgrade of the railway and port transport is expected to benefit and expand other sectors of the economy such as tourism in the western circuit.

“The transformation of the Nairobi-Kisumu train is a game-changer as far as the development of the region is concerned and will play a significant role in boosting tourism on the western circuit,” said Rtd Col Oguna.


gandae@ke.nationmedia.com

Kenya Railways buys seven passenger trains for Nairobi-Kisumu

Kenya Railways has bought seven passenger locomotives to be used between Nairobi and Kisumu as the parastatal seeks to increase frequencies to three.

www.businessdailyafrica.com

 

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Comparing Kenya's Diesel-powered SGR And Tanzania's Bullet Electric Trains​

In 2008, presidents of East Africa except Tanzania ratified a master plan for SGR connecting the port of Mombasa to Kampala, Kigali, and Juba. Tanzania opted to walk alone as Kenya rushed to borrow loans to be used in building outdated diesel-powered railways that ended in the wilderness. It is currently struggling to meet its operation cost. Tanzania's railway will connect Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and the Democrats Republic of Congo.

Before Kenya could finish bragging about constructing the best railway in the region, Tanzania took a back seat, learning from mistakes and his neighbor and using its resources to complete this magnificent project. It built an electric railway that travels almost twice the speed of Kenya's railway at two-thirds of the cost.

Tanzania became the first country to operate electric trains in the East African region and forth in Africa.

Countries are moving away from the diesel-powered train while Kenya is boasting about building it.

Every contract Tanzania has signed so far includes a clause requiring local professionals to teach them about maintenance, signaling, and driving. This allowed experts to be trained in a variety of fields. Instead of hiring foreign engineers, 200 engineers and 10 drivers traveled to Korea to learn how to operate electric trains, allowing local specialists to operate the SGR. Kenya's SGR is operated entirely by Chinese nationals and will continue until all loans are paid back.

Concrete sleepers were used on Tanzania's train, which improves durability and allows the railway network to carry up to 35 tonnes per axle load. The rails can last for up to 40 years before needing to be replaced, while the railway bridge can last for up to 100 years. Kenya's SGR is of low standard and billions of shillings are being used every year to maintain it.

Hyundai Rotem's electric locomotives and EMUs supplied to South Korea to Tanzania reach a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour thanks to the upgraded rails. Kenya's locomotives travel at a speed of less than 120km/h.

Comparing Kenya's Diesel-powered SGR And Tanzania's Bullet Electric Trains

In 2008, presidents of East Africa except Tanzania ratified a master plan for SGR connecting the port of Mombasa to Kampala, Kigali, and Juba. Tanzania opted to walk alone as Kenya rushed to borrow loans to be used in building outdated diesel-powered railways that ended in the wilderness.

news-af.feednews.com

 

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The largest indoor electrical SGR terminal in east and central Africa

 

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TRC Headquarters in Dodoma

 

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Tanzania: A railway boom for minerals, agri-business investments​

February 13, 2022

In the most recent development, an additional 282km of railway are been constructed to connect Tanzania and Burundi giving the latter access to East Africa biggest and busiest port.​

The construction is an extension of the already laid down Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Tanzania. The two governments have signed an agreement that paves way for new rail to be laid at a sum of US$900 million.​

What does this extension mean for Burundi and how will it benefit Tanzania?​

Apart from the obvious economic benefits, lets first consider the small towns through which the railway snakes. From Tanzania’s little town of Uvinza in Kigoma region to the bustling capital city of Gitega in Burundi, the railway is expected to spark life, rejuvenate slowed businesses and build new people relations.​

None said it better than Burundian Minister for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning Domitien Ndihokubwayo who described the project as “…important not only for Tanzania and Burundi, but for the Eastern Democratic of Congo (DRC).”

Some 156kms of the railway track on the Tanzanian side will be built by the host country while 126km across the border will be again built by the responsible country, Burundi.

The construction process itself is sparking activity all along the track’s perimeters. More so, small businesses are set up by vendors who supply the constructors and women led food and beverage businesses that feed the workers.



These small stations are expected to develop into small townships that will create much needed employment for youth and women.

That is the micro-economics of things, as for the macro outlook, the delegates put the figures at millions of dollars annually. The line from Burundi alone is expected to generate transport business estimated at 1 million tonnes of general freight and 3 million tonnes of minerals every single year.

While specific dollar amounts that will be generated through this traffic has not been specified, the estimates place it at several million dollars annually. So where are we with the construction processes?

On the side of Tanzania, the source of the rail, the SGR extends to and from the southern shore of Lake Victoria in a city called Mwanza bringing cargo to the lake shores. On the opposite side of the shore in the country of Uganda, Tanzania has seen to it that the rail continues into the interiors of the landlocked country.

Another section is again strategically connected to yet another lake shore city, this time on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in a city called Kigoma. Here, Tanzania has inked a pact with neighbouring Rwanda and the SGR continues on the opposite side of the lake.

The chain is clear, the rail is an elaborate web network that feeds and receives from the interiors of Africa to and from the rest of the world via the ocean port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Who is building the railway? The tender has gone to Turkey, whose Yapi Merkezi construction company is leading the works. Side by side with Turkey are Portugal through the Mota-Engil company and to China via China Civil Engineering Construction and China Railway Construction companies.

How is this mega project been funded? The construction works are in five stages with funding from the individual countries and loans from Turkey, China, Denmark, Sweden, Standard Chartered Bank and the World Bank.

China’s wagons of progress​

China’s state owned CRRC Corporation Limited (CRRC) will provide the railway with the needed cargo and passenger wagons.

Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) has recently signed a contract for the procurement of some 1,430 rail wagons valued at well over USD 127 million.

The deal was signed at the start of this month (8 February) in Tanzania’s commercial port city of Dar es Salaam, the end and start point of the SGR. The pact was inked by Tanzania’s Minister of Works and Transport, Professor Makame Mbarawa who described the purchase as “…an indication of the government’s determination to assist the transport sector in adding to Tanzania’s GDP.”

The transportation of these thousand plus wagons are no walk in the park, it will take at least 12 months to deliver all 1430 wagons to Tanzania from the People Republic of China.

That been the case, it is expected that the last batch of wagons will arrive in Tanzania around Valentine’s time next year in February 2023.

Investment: Tanzania’s first Standard Guage Railway​

The SGR, a 1,637 kilometers of railway, is actually a rail renewal project upgrading from the old metre gauge that was built during the colonial era. However, upgrade here does not mean removal and replacement of the old rail no. The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) actually runs parallels the old rail.

As mentioned, the SGR network from and to the port city of Dar es Salaam, again to and from Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika, and again to and from Mwanza on Lake Victoria as well as across the water bodies to the neighbouring countries of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda and all the way to Africa’s heart in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.


Upon completion, the SGR is expected to cut freight expenses by almost half (40%). Just to put things into perspective, the freight train is estimated to transport a whopping 10,000 tonnes per trip, that is the equivalent to what would otherwise need at least 500 lorries to transport.

The project is being implemented in 5 phases: 202km Phase 1 (Dar es Salaam–Morogoro) Section, 348km Phase 2 (Morogoro–Makutopora) Section, 294km Phase 3 (Makutopora–Tabora) Section; 130km Phase 4 (Tabora-Isaka) Section, and 341km Phase 5 (Isaka–Mwanza) Section.

There are numerous investment opportunities all along the 1,637 kilometers of railway. Investors, both local and foreign can now take advantage in mining expeditions in all mineral rich towns all along the railway.

There is agriculture rich lands all along the SGR offering huge investment opportunity for raw exports as well as value addition options.

Other than transporting cargo from the interiors, the opposite is also true, investment options lie in supplying all the cities and towns through which the railway snakes with finished consumer goods as well as raw material from various construction works that are bound to take place as the existing towns grow.

Tanzania's railway booms opportunities for minerals, agri-business

There are numerous investment opportunities all along the 1,637 kilometres of railway. for both local and foreign investors.

theexchange.africa

 

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[Kafrican]

kwahiyo unataka kusema hamna bridge nyingine ingefaa? mbona Kawawa na Mandela roads kuna barabara za upana huo na wameweka bridges tofauti? That's a marvelous iconic design on top of the necesity, other structures could have worked too! BTW do u know how many overpasses and underpasses have been built through the whole track length of 300 km! I bet SGR Kunyaland has that many overpasses and underpasses! Prove me wrong!

BTW Hii project iliishia wapi?

So how many overpasses and underpasses does Dar have in its phase1 of 300km?

 

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So how many overpasses and underpasses does Dar have in its phase1 of 300km?

Plenty won't be surprised if be over 30 check the EIA report!

Speaking during a live broadcast Jambo Tanzania programme, of the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), the TRC boss said the project is set to have 17 overpasses and 15 underpasses aimed to avoid risks of getting accidents and save time since the train will be using electricity.
He said there will be two flyovers in Dar es Salaam, major 26 bridges and 243 other small bridges along the railway line from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, and that, so far the project is complete by 34 per cent.

TRC explains state-of-the-art SGR infrastructure features

THE Director General of the Tanzania Railway Company (TRC) ...

dailynews.co.tz

Been designed to have no level crossing in the whole stretch!

 

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Plenty won't be surprised if be over 100 check the EIA report!

So in short you have no idea, just making empty claims as usual

 

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So in short you have no idea, just making empty claims as usual

Plenty won't be surprised if be over 30 check the EIA report!

TRC explains state-of-the-art SGR infrastructure features

THE Director General of the Tanzania Railway Company (TRC) ...

dailynews.co.tz

 

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He said there will be two flyovers in Dar es Salaam, major 26 bridges and 243 other small bridges along the railway line from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, and that, so far the project is complete by 34 per cent. TRC explains state-of-the-art SGR infrastructure features

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The highest of the 98 bridges will be 43 metres while the longest crossing extends 215 metres. Read more: Breathtaking and hair-raising scenery of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (photos)