URC suspends Kampala-Mukono passenger train services for repairs
Uganda Railways Corporation currently operates a single passenger train route from Kampala to Namanve. Photo / Edgar R Batte
What you need to know:
- The decision was taken to allow the technical team to restore sections of the affected infrastructure and reinforce the embankment to guarantee the safety of both passengers and cargo.
The Uganda Railway Corporation (URC) has temporarily suspended passenger train services along the Kampala–Mukono route from April 6 to April 14, 2025. The suspension comes just months after the service was relaunched in June 2024.
Mr John Linonn Sengendo, Head of Communications at URC, said the decision was taken to allow the technical team to restore sections of the affected infrastructure and reinforce the embankment to guarantee the safety of both passengers and cargo.
“An unfortunate incident happened I think last week and our technical team has been doing assessments to see if a train is able to move with over 700 Ugandans,” he said.
He added, “By yesterday evening [April 6], and given the fact that it had rained, it was impossible to have Ugandans navigate that section safely.”
Speaking during the NTV Morning Show on April 7, 2025, Mr Sengendo further explained that halting operations was necessary to prevent a potential disaster.
“If it capsized at one point, you’d have so many Ugandans affected. So this affects Ugandans, but at least it’s not as bad if an accident happened,” he noted.
Mr Sengendo compared the current situation to when the train route was extended from Namanve to Mukono, which generated excitement and led to a surge in passenger numbers.
He noted that the commuter trains often left Mukono fully occupied and arrived in Namanve still full—an indication of their growing popularity.
The service, he said, has been a game-changer, offering an affordable, efficient travel alternative to both low- and high-income earners.
“We have had Ugandans park their cars—some of them at Namanve station, others in Mukono—so as to take the train. These are people that can afford fuel, but because of the fear for someone’s body and mind, the time they spend in traffic has pushed them to common rail,” he said.
In December 2024, President Museveni commissioned the concrete sleeper railway line in Mukono, signaling renewed commitment to rail transport.
Since its relaunch in June 2024, more than 220,000 passengers have used the Kampala–Mukono commuter train. URC also has plans to rehabilitate additional routes to Kyengera, Port Bell, and Lugazi.
