Kenya Railways targets car dealers with new SGR freight service

Nairobi, Kenya - Kenya Railways has introduced a freight service on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) for transporting vehicles between Mombasa and Nairobi, with onward connections to Naivasha. This service, in partnership with Autobarn East Africa, began with the arrival of the first consignment at the Nairobi Inland Container Depot on Friday.

Kenya Railways Managing Director, Philip Mainga, revealed that the corporation has been testing the service since last year and is now inviting more motor vehicle dealers, importers, and clearing agents to utilize the facility. Vehicles are transported in specialized wagons, each capable of carrying up to six cars. Autobarn plans to transport around 700 vehicles per month from Mombasa to Nairobi.

The rail service aims to provide an alternative to road transport, reducing the journey duration to approximately eight hours compared to over a day by road. Mainga emphasized that the service would also minimize the risk of vehicles arriving with dirt or dents that can occur during road transport. In addition to intra-country transportation, Kenya Railways targets vehicle traders in neighboring countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The service will enable holidaymakers traveling between Nairobi, Naivasha, and Mombaa to transport their personal vehicles by train, collecting them at their desired destination. Mainga further suggested that this option could help reduce fatigue-related road accidents by allowing motorists to avoid lengthy drives.