This archive report was first published on 21 October 2019.
Highs and Lows Aboard SGR Train from Nairobi to Suswa ¶
On October 16, 2019, the launch of Phase 2A of the Standard Gauge Railway project from Nairobi to Suswa was marked by a smooth inaugural ride, but the journey highlighted several challenges, including accessibility and connectivity.
The train, which was flagged off by President Uhuru Kenyatta, took approximately 21 minutes to reach the Ongata Rongai terminus in Kajiado County. The train schedule indicates that subsequent train rides between the two stations will last just 23 minutes, significantly shortening the time between Rongai and the city.
Along the route, the train passes through the Nairobi National Park, where a 6.563-kilometre bridge has been constructed to allow animals to move freely. The bridge is supported by 198 piers, 178 of which are within the park itself. The rail design through the park also features two abutments.
At the Ongata Rongai terminus, the train passes through a densely-forested animal migratory route used by animals moving between the Nairobi and Amboseli national parks. The Ngong station, designed to resemble a soaring eagle, symbolises the strength of the locals and serves as a connection point for people commuting from nearby areas such as Karen and Embulbul.
However, despite the existence of the beautifully-finished station, access remains a big concern for the residents. For kilometres on either side of the station, little can be seen, save for trees and rough and dusty road patches leading to widely spaced out homes.
The rail design includes three tunnels, the Ngong, Kimuka and Nachu tunnels, which significantly cut the distance the train has to travel, providing the shortest possible route through the Rift Valley escarpment and shortening the travel time.
The train smoothly cascades through the escarpments of the Great Rift Valley, with impressive views of forested hills and a continuous mountain skyline dotted with the summits of the Aberdare Ranges, Suswa and Longonot mountains, before finally easing through sparsely-populated villages with low, mostly temporary structures for homes.
It is this continuous mountain skyline that inspired the design for the Mai Mahiu station, which was located due to the proposed industrial park that will be built in Mai Mahiu town. The design of the Suswa station, on the other hand, was inspired by the rhythm of the local traditional dancers and local construction materials like brick.
Like the Nairobi-Mombasa course, the route from Nairobi to Suswa features subsidiary houses and management offices built along the line. The coaches are also similar to those used along the Nairobi-Mombasa route.
For the passengers who boarded the train back, the journey to Nairobi, without stops, lasted an hour and 10 minutes. Soon, Uhuru said, this area, like the rest of the remote ghost villages the rail passes through, will be transformed by the SGR project.
