The government of Kenya has launched a 15-day test
run on its Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) phase 2A project, which is currently on
its final stage of construction. This is in order to establish a link between
the capital Nairobi and the resort town of Naivasha in the rift valley region.
The 120-km modern railway line whose construction
is overseen by the China Communications Construction Company (CCC), kicked off in October 2016. The line is part of
the railway network in east Africa.
Upon completion of the SGR phase 2A whose remaining
works include fencing and installation of signal systems, the vast swath of
Central Kenya is expected to be more accessible to rail travellers then ever
before.
In less than two hours, people traveling from
Nairobi to the Rift Valley will be ferried across the 120-km track through the
longest railway tunnel in the East African region measuring about 4.5 km and across
a 6.5-km long super bridge, before being dropped at the foot of Mount Suswa, a
magnificent shield volcano and a tourist destination in the region.
Some passengers will be alighting at the shiny new
stations in Ongata Rongai, Ngong and Mai Mahui, which are built between the
Syokimau and Suswa stations, each boasting a uniquely designed exterior and a
business-like aesthetic inside.
More than 500 local youth have benefited from well paid jobs offered during the construction of the railway line that is expected to have a positive impact on strategic sectors of Kenya’s economy like agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.https://constructionreviewonline.com/2019/09/kenya-launches-test-run-on-its-phase-2a-of-sgr-line/
