Uganda Standard Gauge Railway

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Uganda Standard Gauge Railway
Overview
StatusPlanned
TerminiMalaba, Kampala
Mpondwe, Mirama Hills, Goli and Elegu
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)Uganda Railways Corporation
History
Opened2025 (Expected)
Technical
Line length1,724 km (1,071 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The Uganda Standard Gauge Railway is a planned railway system linking the country to the neighboring countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, as part of East African Railway Master Plan. The new Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), is intended to replace the old, inefficient metre-gauge railway system.[1]

Location[]

The railway system would consist of four major sections:

Malaba–Kampala Section

Also referred as the Eastern Line, would stretch from the border with Kenya at Malaba, through Tororo and Jinja, to end at Kampala, the capital and largest city in Uganda. The total distance of this section is approximately 215 kilometres (134 mi).[2]

Tororo–Gulu Section

Also referred to as the Northern Line, would extend from Tororo, and go through Mbale and Lira to Gulu, a distance of approximately 400 kilometres (249 mi).[3] From Gulu, one spur will continue north to Elegu and on to Nimule and Juba in South Sudan. The section in Uganda, measures approximately 107 kilometres (66 mi).[4] Another extension stretches from Gulu southwestwards through Pakwach to end at Goli at the Border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a distance of approximately 190 kilometres (118 mi).[5]

Kampala–Mpondwe Section

This is referred to as the Western Line. It starts in Kampala and passes through Bihanga in Ibanda District, continuing on to Mpondwe at the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a distance of about 430 kilometres (267 mi).[6]

Bihanga–Mirama Hills Section

This is also referred to as the Southwestern Line. It stretches from Bihanga, through Ibanda and Mbarara to end at Mirama Hills, at the border with Rwanda, a distance of about 205 kilometres (127 mi).[7]

Overview[]

This 1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) railway line is intended to ease the transfer of goods between the port of Mombasa and the city of Kampala, and subsequently to Kigali in Rwanda, and to Beni in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to Nimule and Juba in South Sudan. Goods would travel from Mombasa along the Kenya Standard Gauge Railway to Malaba, at the border with Uganda, and transfer on to this railway system.[8]

In April 2017, preliminary estimates for the entire Uganda SGR Project were quoted at USh45.6 trillion (approximately US$12.8 billion).[9]

In March 2019, during a state visit to Kenya, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and his host, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, jointly, publicly committed to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Kampala via Malaba.[10]

Construction[]

The construction, is expected to be financed by the government of Uganda, using borrowed money from the Exim Bank of China. However, the loan cannot be approved by the lender until Kenya finalizes the funding arrangement for the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba section of its SGR.[11] The Malaba-Kampala section, with associated train stations and railway yards, measuring 273 kilometres (170 mi), is budgeted to cost US$2.3 billion.[12] Once funding is secured, the construction of the Eastern Line is expected to last 42 months.[13] The entire 1,724 kilometres (1,071 mi) SGR in Uganda will cost an estimated $12.8 billion.[1]

In May 2018, The EastAfrican reported that Uganda may scale back on starting major infrastructure projects, in an effort to reduce its fiscal deficit in the run-up to joining the East African Monetary Union in 2024. One of the requirements for joining the EAC monetary union is that a partner state maintains a fiscal deficit of not more than 3 per cent of GDP, for three consecutive years prior to joining the monetary union. The SGR project may be one of those delayed or scaled back.[14]

In December 2020, the EastAfrican reported that the government of Uganda would start construction of its SGR in the 2022/2023 financial year, with the expectation that Kenya would have figured out how to fund the Naivasha to Malaba section when the Uganda SGR reaches Malaba, "by the end of the projected construction period".[15]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Barigaba, Julius (6 January 2018). "Uganda refocuses on metre gauge rail as Kenya delays SGR". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  2. ^ Globefeed.com (7 February 2018). "Distance between Malaba Uganda Immigration Offices, Uganda and Kampala Railway Station, Kampala, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  3. ^ Globefeed.com (7 February 2018). "Distance between Tororo Railway Station, Tororo, Uganda and Gulu Rail Station Polling Station, Gulu, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  4. ^ Globefeed.com (7 February 2018). "Distance between Gulu Rail Station Polling Station, Gulu, Uganda and Elegu Collection Center, Kilak, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  5. ^ Globefeed.com (7 February 2018). "Distance between Gulu Rail Station Polling Station, Gulu, Uganda and Goli, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  6. ^ Globefeed.com (7 February 2018). "Distance between Kampala Railway Station, Kampala, Uganda and Mpondwe, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  7. ^ Globefeed.com (7 January 2018). "Distance between Bihanga, Uganda and Mirama Hills, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  8. ^ Kuo, Lily (24 July 2017). "Uganda's Chinese-built high speed railway will cost even more than Kenya's did". Quartz Africa. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  9. ^ Wesonga, Nelson (7 April 2017). "Minister defends Shs45.6 trillion Standard Gauge Railway project cost". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  10. ^ Olingo, Allan (27 March 2019). "Museveni, Uhuru close ranks on extension of SGR to Uganda border". Business Daily Africa. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  11. ^ Olingo, Allan (20 September 2017). "Kenya, Uganda seek SGR funding from China". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  12. ^ Musisi, Frederic (7 September 2018). "Museveni, Xi Jinping Hold Talks". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  13. ^ Biryabarema, Elias (26 January 2017). "Uganda negotiating $2.3 bln loan with China to fund rail line". Reuters.com. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  14. ^ Asiimwe, Dicta (22 May 2018). "Uganda sweats to meet fiscal deficit target ahead of monetary union". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  15. ^ Michael Wakabi (22 December 2020). "Uganda plans to go it alone and build 2,700km-long standard gauge railway". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 23 December 2020.

External links[]

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