First Batch of SGR Freight Locomotives Arrive in Mombasa

Last Updated 9 years ago by Kenya Engineer

The Government has taken delivery of the first batch of freight locomotives for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) this week, underlining its commitment to deliver the project on time.

The locomotives were received on behalf of the Government by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr. James Macharia at a ceremony held at Mombasa Port’s Port Reitz Station, which is the starting point for the SGR’s Mombasa-Nairobi line.

Also present were Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera; Chargé d’ affaires Yao Ming from Embassy of China in Kenya; members of the Kenya Railways Corporation Board and top officials from CRBC, among others.

“Thanks to the efforts of over 40,000 Chinese and Kenyan railway builders and Government agencies involved in this landmark project, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has registered a remarkable construction speed and we expect 

completion of the entire project soon, and within our contract terms. The delivery of this first batch of freight locomotives is a major milestone on this journey,” Mr. Li Qiang, General Manager of CRBC EAC Head Office said at the ceremony.

Six locomotives docked at the port, out of which four are freight locomotives of the model DF8B diesel locomotive. This is the main traction locomotive model of the Chinese railway system, with locomotive power of 3100KW and a maximum speed of 100 km/h.

Once the SGR is operational, this locomotive will be the main force serving freight transportation needs on the entire railway. Also expected are 2 DF7G shunting locomotives with 1550KW power, which together with the freight locomotives, will be used for marshalling and dispatching locomotives and rolling stock within stations.

According to the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), there will be a total of 56 locomotives manufactured by CRRC Corporation in operation on the Mombasa￾Nairobi SGR route. The entire fleet is expected to be in the country by mid-year and will arrive in four batches.

The fleet, when complete, will consist of three models: passenger, freight and shunting locomotives. There will be five DF11 passenger locomotives, 43 DF8B freight locomotives and eight DF7G locomotives. The three, the main traction locomotive models of the Chinese railway system, are mature, reliable and come with proprietary intellectual property rights. They are in use in large quantities, own a high market share and exhibit excellent performance.

The DF8B heavy-duty diesel locomotive, which just arrived at Mombasa Port is the classic model with an AC-DC transmission Diesel-Electric, high-power engine. It is widely used for both passenger and freight, and boasts a domestic market share of 60 per cent in China. The DF11 passenger locomotive represents the realization of high- speed passenger transportation in China. It is the highest scientific and technological achievement by the Chinese diesel locomotive industry, and will arrive at Mombasa Port by the end of January, together with the second batch of locomotives and rolling stock equipment.

The DF11, DF8B and DF7G diesel locomotive models represent the highest levels of Chinese diesel locomotive technology. They have played a key role in the sixth nationwide train speed-up campaign in China.

They are expected to spearhead the historic mission of boosting the capacity of Kenya’s railway transportation, engendering smooth flow of traffic on the main artery of national economic development, thereby assisting in the realization of Kenya’s economic development goals, as captured in Vision 2030, the country’s premier blueprint.

According to the CRBC, the three locomotive models have been customized for Kenya’s tropical savannah climate, operational environment and future maintenance requirements, based on the results of field investigations carried out by Kenya Railways, CRBC and the locomotive manufacturer CRRC Corporation along the SGR line. For instance, CRBC has had to ditch the original DF4D locomotives for the better performing, albeit more expensive DF11 locomotives.

The next critical segment of the project, added Mr. Li Qiang, involves the construction of high-quality stations, signaling, communication and electricity works, to ensure the operation of the SGR line in time to contribute to Kenya’s socio-economic development and prosperity.

Under construction by CRBC, the Nairobi-Mombasa SGR line, which runs from Mombasa Port, East Africa’s biggest, is the first green-field railway line in Kenya in the last century. Significant progress has been made since commencement. The construction of sub-grade, bridge, culverts and main line track-laying is nearly complete. The installation of signaling, communication and electricity systems, and station building has come to an end. The preparation for full railway operation is currently underway. It is expected that the railway will start trial operations from June this year, while official operations are expected by the beginning of 2018