Nairobi, March 14 (Xinhua) — Commuting is more convenient and logistics is more efficient – Chinese enterprises help upgrade Kenya’s transportation
In the early morning, at Mombasa railway station in Kenya, with the sound of the whistle, modern standard gauge trains departed on time and sped inland. On the other side of the platform, the renovated meter gauge commuter train is steadily approaching the station, and amidst the surging crowd, Wenros Vachira’s footsteps are light and agile.
For Wenros, the changes in this journey are the “accelerator” of her life. In the past, this section of the road often took over an hour, which was the most torturous time every morning, “she sighed. After taking the commuter meter gauge, the commuting time from Mombasa terminal to the city during peak hours only took 30 minutes, and the one-way ticket price was 50 Kenyan shillings (about 3 yuan).” This not only saves money, but also leaves more room for life.
The convenience felt by Wenros stems from the complete upgrade of Kenya’s railway network. This meter gauge railway, which was first built in 1896, was once dormant due to years of disrepair, but now it has been revitalized after restoration and renovation.
In August 2022, China Road and Bridge Corporation launched a comprehensive repair and upgrade of the commuter meter gauge. In September 2025, the renovated line was officially opened, achieving direct connection between the Mombasa terminal and the city center.
Kenyan President Ruto said at the opening ceremony of the commuter meter gauge that the opening of this line provides modern, affordable, and reliable transportation options for residents and tourists, which is a milestone for the coastal city of Mombasa and even the entire country.
While restoring the existing lines, the project also further opened up transfer channels between the commuter meter gauge and the standard gauge of the Mombasa Nairobi Railway, achieving seamless operation of railways with different rail systems and providing passengers with more convenient and efficient passenger and commuting services. At present, in addition to Mombasa, Nairobi has also opened commuter meter tracks to and from the city center; At the Naivasha inland container port, efficient transfer and connection of standard gauge and meter gauge are achieved, opening up a freight channel to Uganda.
If the constantly improving passenger transport network brings about a “temperature of people’s livelihood”, then the constantly upgrading freight channels run out of “logistics speed”.
Feng Xudong, Minister of Transport of China Road and Bridge Africa Star Railway Operation Company, introduced that by introducing high load container flatcars and improving the digital dispatching system, the loading and operation efficiency of trains has been significantly improved. At the same time, the company has strengthened cooperation with ports and inland container yards, optimized loading and unloading processes, and arranged train schedules. With the gradual release of freight capacity, more goods are shifting from road transportation to railway transportation, which not only reduces logistics costs but also alleviates traffic pressure along the route.
Kamilus Ondego, the business manager of Kenya’s bulk grain loading and unloading company, said that before the construction of the Mombasa Nairobi railway, Kenya’s imported grain mainly relied on truck transportation, and each truck usually took more than 30 hours to travel from Mombasa to Nairobi. Nowadays, with the continuous improvement of railway transportation technology and operational efficiency, freight trains can complete the same transportation tasks in only 8 to 9 hours, greatly reducing logistics time.
With the continuous promotion of multiple technical measures such as upgrading freight equipment and optimizing operation systems, the transportation function and service radius of the Mombasa Nairobi Railway will be further expanded, and it is expected to achieve deeper integration with the logistics and railway systems of East African Community countries such as Uganda and Rwanda, promoting more efficient and stable regional freight circulation and providing strong support for the integrated development of East Africa.
Behind the continuous upgrading of the railway network is a “two-way rush” for talent. Over the past eight years, a stable mentorship model has been established between Chinese mentors and Kenyan employees, and batches of local railway talents have grown through practice, continuously injecting fresh blood and development momentum into railway safety, efficiency, and sustainable operation.
At the dispatch and command center of the Monnet Railway, Kongchilia Owari stared intently at the surveillance screen. She was once the first female locomotive driver in Kenya, and later drove the presidential train. Now, she has become a backbone of locomotive management and passed on her experience to the new generation of Kenyan drivers.
The growth of Kongqilia is a microcosm of the deep cultivation of the localization of the Inner Mongolia Railway. From 2016 to 2018, about 100 Kenyan students went to Beijing Jiaotong University for further studies and became the backbone of the operational front line after returning to China. Through a mature “mentorship” model, the Kenyan localization rate of the Mombasa Nairobi Railway has exceeded 90%, and local teams have the ability to independently operate, maintain, and manage modern railway systems.
The slogan on the train, ‘Connect the country, move towards prosperity’, is being transformed into tangible development achievements through pragmatic cooperation and technological innovation. Since its opening, the Mombasa Nairobi Railway has transported over 17 million passengers and 45 million tons of goods, becoming an increasingly important “golden channel” in Kenya’s transportation system. It has injected new impetus into the upgrading of Kenya’s transportation system and the development of its economy and people’s livelihood.
Mombasa Nairobi Railway is the first railway built in Kenya since independence, and also a landmark project of China Kenya cooperation in the “the Belt and Road”. With the official start of the second phase of the Nairobi Malaba railway project in the near future, the Mombasa Nairobi railway is taking a crucial step towards extending towards the western border. From the port of Mombasa to the inland, and then to the border between Kenya and Uganda, this railway is closely connecting Kenya with various countries in East Africa, and will continue to inject momentum into the upgrading of connectivity and modern transportation systems in East Africa.