City railway services to resume on May 2 – URC
A larger chunk of Uganda’s railway network has suffered due to years of neglect and low investment. Photo / Edgar R Batte
What you need to know:
- Mr Ssengendo said the Corporation has plans to restructure the Namanve railway station into park-and-ride hubs, which allow passengers to leave their vehicles at the facility and pick them up when they return.
The Uganda Railway Corporation (URC) has said it is set to reopen the Kampala-Namanve railway line on May 2.
The railway line was closed in April 2023 for renovation.
In an interview with the Monitor yesterday, Mr John Linnon Ssengendo, the URC spokesperson, said the train will run four trips, with passengers being charged Shs2,000 per trip to cover operational costs.
Previously, passengers were paying Shs1,000.
“… for the start, there will be four trips: two in the morning and two in the evening. The morning trips will be Namanve to Kampala at 06.40am and 07.45am. The evening trips will be from Kampala to Namanve at 5.30pm and 6.5 pm,’’ Mr Sengendo said.
He added that before the Kampala–Mukono route was closed, more than 1,500 passengers would use the service.
He is hopeful that after this significant improvement of the facility, the number of passengers will increase to 2,000 a day.
“Next financial year, when we secure funds, we will add another route which is the Kampala-Bujuuko railway line. We hope to extend the Kampala-Namanve route to Mukono town by August, among others,” Mr. Sengendo said.
Hopeful
He said Ugandans should expect improved services.
Mr Ssengendo said the Corporation has plans to restructure the Namanve railway station into park-and-ride hubs, which allow passengers to leave their vehicles at the facility and pick them up when they return.
In April last year, the URC Chief Commercial Officer, Ms Jessica Bakabazira, said the corporation had plans for three more passenger routes to Mukono town, Kyengera, and areas of Port Bell.
She added that the Corporation plans to acquire Diesel Multiple Units and coaches, aiming to accommodate an additional 300 more passengers per day.
President Museveni in September last year commissioned Uganda’s first railway concrete sleeper factory in Kawolo, Buikwe District.
Imathia, a Spanish construction company, conducted the refurbishment of the 25-kilometre railway line from Kampala to Mukono.
The Kampala-Namanve route, the only passenger railway line, has several boarding stations known as halts in Kampala, Nakawa, Kireka, Namanve, Bweyogerere, and Namboole.
The URC has other railway routes that are purely cargo. They include Mombasa to Kampala via Malaba, Kisumu to Kampala, Jinja pier through Lake Victoria, and Dar el Salaam to Kampala via Port Bell over Lake Victoria.
