This aerial photo, taken on Sept. 20, 2023, shows a view of the Nairobi Terminus Station of the China-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Nairobi, Kenya. (Xinhua/Han Xu)
Kenya's standard gauge railway (SGR) freight service has added 50 new wagons that were imported from China to its existing fleet.
NAIROBI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's standard gauge railway (SGR) freight service has added 50 new wagons that were imported from China to its existing fleet, a government official said Monday.
Kipchumba Murkomen, the cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Roads and Transport, said new wagons will improve the efficiency of the country's rail services, help shift freight from roads, and reduce damage caused by heavy trucks.
This aerial photo, taken on Sept. 20, 2023, shows a view of the Nairobi Terminus Station of the China-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Nairobi, Kenya. (Xinhua/Han Xu)
"The wagons are part of Kenya's strategic response to market dynamics, and the need to meet the ever-changing demands of customers and gain a competitive edge in the region," Murkomen said in a statement issued from the coastal city of Mombasa.
He noted that this is the first time new wagons have been added since the launch of SGR in May 2017.
The Kenyan official noted that a second shipment of 250 wagons from China is expected to arrive later in February in the country. He added that 20 of the expected wagons will have power plugins to enable the movement of refrigerated containers, a hitherto untapped business potential for SGR. ■
