by george matthews
http://steelmillsoftheworld.com/news/ne ... ?slno=1344
This is an interesting idea. I can see what's in it for the companies that want to build it but not what would be the gain for those who operate it.
The plan is sponsored by the leader of southern Sudan - John Garang - who has spent much of his life fighting the Arab government based in Khartum. His plan is to link South Sudan, which now has some autonomy, with East Africa, and so he needs a transport outlet to the south. But is there the traffic to make it pay? Most railways in Africa have an identifiable large industrial user at one end, and a port at the other. In Uganda the Kasese line had a copper mine. When that mine closed so did the railway. I suspect that road traffic between Kenya and Sudan is not all that great. However, as the oil industry grows in Sudan maybe there will be some scope for supplies to the drillers, and perhaps even some oil exports.
Another question of course is gauge. Kenya has metre gauge; the rest of the Sudan uses Cape gauge. Will this proposed line link up with the Sudan line at Wau? But that line is so decrepit that it can scarcely handle one train a week, and that needs a full military protection team. If the line from Kenya is built where will the terminal be?
These are interesting questions. Such a line was proposed thirty years ago, and I felt the same objections to its viability were present then, although of course the oil industry is very recent (the main factor in the trouble in Darfur).
Later:
The gauge question is also being addressed.
http://www.sudantribune.com/article.php ... ticle=3832
>>The discussions will also address the issue of over-hauling of Kenya's century-old metre gauge rail network to the much more practical standard gauge.<<
I wonder if this is wise? Cape gauge conversion in East Africa would connect the southern African systems to the existing Sudanese system. Only when you get to Egypt is there a Standard gauge system.
However, this would be a huge undertaking involving at least the Kenya lines to Dar es Salaam to link with the Tazara line.
I haven't yet seen a map of the connection to Sudan. One possibility would be to go from Juba to the northern Uganda line (believed to be inactive at present). Another would be to extend the Nanyuki branch in Kenya northwards. In both these cases the simplest construction would to build a metre gauge line as neither would be likely to join the existing Sudanese system. But if there is heavy freight to be carried both lines would need extensive reconstruction.
More research shows that this indeed a huge visionary project, involving the inactive lines in Uganda (Pakwach and Kasese) and the probably inactive branch in Kenya to Rongai.
http://www.railwaygazette.com/2004/049-com1.asp
I suspect that building standard gauge lines is a fantasy too far. Building even a Cape gauge line sounds dubious without rebuilding all the lines in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. However, it is worth watching these projects to see how much, if anything, gets done.
Connecting Rwanda to Uganda seems quite feasible, opening a border that was made almost inpenetrable in colonial times.
This is an interesting idea. I can see what's in it for the companies that want to build it but not what would be the gain for those who operate it.
The plan is sponsored by the leader of southern Sudan - John Garang - who has spent much of his life fighting the Arab government based in Khartum. His plan is to link South Sudan, which now has some autonomy, with East Africa, and so he needs a transport outlet to the south. But is there the traffic to make it pay? Most railways in Africa have an identifiable large industrial user at one end, and a port at the other. In Uganda the Kasese line had a copper mine. When that mine closed so did the railway. I suspect that road traffic between Kenya and Sudan is not all that great. However, as the oil industry grows in Sudan maybe there will be some scope for supplies to the drillers, and perhaps even some oil exports.
Another question of course is gauge. Kenya has metre gauge; the rest of the Sudan uses Cape gauge. Will this proposed line link up with the Sudan line at Wau? But that line is so decrepit that it can scarcely handle one train a week, and that needs a full military protection team. If the line from Kenya is built where will the terminal be?
These are interesting questions. Such a line was proposed thirty years ago, and I felt the same objections to its viability were present then, although of course the oil industry is very recent (the main factor in the trouble in Darfur).
Later:
The gauge question is also being addressed.
http://www.sudantribune.com/article.php ... ticle=3832
>>The discussions will also address the issue of over-hauling of Kenya's century-old metre gauge rail network to the much more practical standard gauge.<<
I wonder if this is wise? Cape gauge conversion in East Africa would connect the southern African systems to the existing Sudanese system. Only when you get to Egypt is there a Standard gauge system.
However, this would be a huge undertaking involving at least the Kenya lines to Dar es Salaam to link with the Tazara line.
I haven't yet seen a map of the connection to Sudan. One possibility would be to go from Juba to the northern Uganda line (believed to be inactive at present). Another would be to extend the Nanyuki branch in Kenya northwards. In both these cases the simplest construction would to build a metre gauge line as neither would be likely to join the existing Sudanese system. But if there is heavy freight to be carried both lines would need extensive reconstruction.
More research shows that this indeed a huge visionary project, involving the inactive lines in Uganda (Pakwach and Kasese) and the probably inactive branch in Kenya to Rongai.
http://www.railwaygazette.com/2004/049-com1.asp
I suspect that building standard gauge lines is a fantasy too far. Building even a Cape gauge line sounds dubious without rebuilding all the lines in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. However, it is worth watching these projects to see how much, if anything, gets done.
Connecting Rwanda to Uganda seems quite feasible, opening a border that was made almost inpenetrable in colonial times.
