This archive report was first published on 16 July 2020.
Kenya Railways has acquired 11 refurbished Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) from Spain, marking a significant step towards modernizing the country's urban commuter trains in Nairobi.
According to Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga, the refurbished DMUs will arrive in Kenya next month, following a government-to-government arrangement approved by the Cabinet last year.
Mr. Hinga shared pictures of the second-hand DMUs being loaded onto trucks in Mallorca, Spain, on their way to Barcelona, where they will be shipped to Mombasa on July 21, 2020. The DMUs are expected to arrive at the Mombasa port 25 days later, on or about August 16, 2020.
The refurbished engines are expected to boost the Nairobi Commuter Rail (NCR) plan to increase the number of train commuter users from the current 300,000 to three million a month. Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga said the DMUs would be used on the Nairobi Commuter Rail (NCR) and would give a major boost to the ongoing reforms to turn around the capital.
Kenya Railways acquired the 11 refurbished DMUs, five coaches, and spare parts from Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca (SFM) at a negotiated price of Sh1.15 billion. The diesel units have a remaining economic useful life of 23-25 years.
Mr. Mainga noted that the project's objectives are to modernize approximately 150km of track and infrastructure on four major routes radiating from the CBD, introduce modern rolling stock, develop a new 6.5km railway line to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and provide safe, reliable, and affordable services.
