Uganda Railways set to receive new locomotives as it moves to expand fleet

Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has revealed Uganda is set to receive newly purchased locomotives to boost its existing capacity.

On their official Twitter account, URC shared photos of four newly purchased 3000 horsepower-engine vehicles which the corporation said would be landed in the country soon.

“Great things are coming to Uganda Railways’ track. The newly purchased locomotives will be here soon,” URC tweeted.

This procurement is part of Uganda’s five-year project to revamp its century-old metre gauge railway across 5 railway systems in the country.

In January this year, URC’s Managing Director, Stanley Ssendegeya, said the four new locomotives would facilitate freight services along Kampala- Naivasha line as the Corporation pushes for rehabilitation of the network.

URC has also noted that rehabilitation works are ongoing on a number of railway lines in the country.

“Rehabilitation Works have commenced on Tororo -Gulu Line. And preparations are underway to start rehabilitation on the Malaba -Kampala line.”

Rehabilitation of the 375Km Tororo-Gulu line was launched last year and is expected to cost €47.6 million with funding coming from the European Union (€21.5million) while Uganda government will contribute €26.1 million.

The single-track line which links eastern and northern Uganda to the port of Mombasa in Kenya as well as South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo has been out of service since 1993 because of insecurity in the northern region brought about by the Lord’s Resistance Army.

URC is also set to earmark rehabilitation of the 260Km Kampala- Malaba line which links Kampala to Malaba town, along its border with Kenya.

The Kampala-Malaba project will be funded by the African Development Fund which will provide Shs 356.61 billion, the African Development Bank (825.52 billion) and the Corporate Internationalization Fund of Spain (Shs 110.72 billion).