Government pledges 327m in Euros to rebuild lines

The Government in UGANDA has secured loans equivalent to 327 million Euros to rebuild hundreds of kilometres of metre-gauge lines across the East African country.

The Kampala – Malaba Metre Gauge Railway Project will refurbish the existing 250km line from the Ugandan capital to the Kenyan border.

Also included in the project will be the 8.3km Kampala to Port Bell and 12.3km Kampala to Nalukolongo and Kyengera branch lines.

A separate €34.6m project to rebuild the 375km metre-gauge Tororo – Gulu railway was launched in October 2020 with financial support secured from the European Union.

As well as rebuilding track, the new project will see the purchase and refurbishment of locomotives, carriages and freight stock, the creation of a railway training school for Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) management and staff, and setting up of spare part stocks.

A successful conclusion of the project is predicted to reduce travel times for commuters from an average two hours per 12km to just 20 minutes. Freight volumes are also expected to increase from 20,000 tonnes to 300,000 tonnes per month.

The Ugandan Parliament’s Committee on National Economy has suggested that URC investigates using military resources for part of the project to reduce costs.

The scheme has not gained universal support, however – some Parliament members have questioned the relevance of the heavy investment at a time when work is continuing to develop a planned Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Project that will connect Uganda with Kenya, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.

Financed by China the standard-gauge project is set to begin within two years.