The Standard Gauge Railway(SGR) maintained phenomenal growth in the months of September and October, latest statistics of cargo evacuation by Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) show. 

During the month of October, 221 Madaraka Express freight trains departed from Mombasa Port to the Nairobi Inland Container Depot (ICD), delivering 19,294  twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containerised cargo and 190,408 tonnes of bulk cargo.

From the Nairobi ICD, 1274 TEUs of exports and 15,582 TEUs of returned empty containers were delivered back to the port with 1353 TEUs of exports and 13,887 TEUs of empty containers delivered back to the port.

Philip Mainga, KRC managing director said SGR freight has made significant performance in the short-term following the massive clinker imports now transported by rail, adding that the performance will boost cargo volumes.

In October, Afristar, the Chinese company contracted to run the train service, introduced special long trains of 75 wagons /150 TEUs and the double deck trains conveying 152 TEUs per move continued to increase daily container evacuations.

“The integration of the SGR andMGR lines will remarkably improve the flow of cargo right from the port to the hinterland countries,” Mainga said in a statement.