M a r k e t N e w s
Kenya: More SGR Locomotives, Coaches Arrive as June Commission Date Nears
Posted on : Monday, 30th January 2017
Two passenger locomotives, four freight locomotives and 31 passenger coaches are expected at the Mombasa Port on Saturday as the contractor races to beat the June deadline when the Standard Gauge Railway is expected to be commissioned.
Each of the soft-seat coaches can accommodate 72 passengers while the hard-seat ones have a capacity of 118 passengers.
According a statement by Transport ministry, officials from the China Road and Bridge Corporation, Kenya Railways and the ministry will receive them.
Transport Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera said on Thursday that the government is committed to beating the deadline to complete the project.
"The arrival of the trains signifies commitment by the Jubilee administration to make sure the SGR is completed in time," he said.
The arrival comes just two weeks after four locomotives and two Shatners (railway engines) arrived at the port.
The Shatners are railway engines but do not pull wagons. They are used to test the efficiency and suitability of the railway line before the locomotives use them.
The multi-billion SGR, one of the Jubilee administration's flag ship projects, is the major project by the government in recent times.
Source : allafrica.com
