Plans are underway to upgrade Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from diesel-power to electric by 2021.
According to Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, the government plans to invest Sh65 billion in the project.
“We were not sure of electric power supply, that is why we started with diesel but provided a provision to upgrade it later to electric by 2021,” he said.
The announcement follows the launch of inter-county train services between Mombasa and Nairobi which took place on Wednesday.
Read: Madaraka Express Set For Inter-County Services Starting November
“Since its launch five months ago, the Madaraka Express has endeavored to lower the cost of transport and make it more affordable for Kenyans to travel for both business and leisure. So far, the service has moved over 337,000 passengers between the port city of Mombasa and Nairobi, with the number growing daily,’’ he said.
The CS maintains that the government will continue to come up with initiatives that will help increase access and reduce on transport costs throughout the country.
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