Travel Time Matrix:

Travel time between Malaba and Kampala increased from 18.5hours in 2016 to almost 24hrs in 2017 and remained above 20hrs in 2018-2019 at a commercial speed of 20-21km/hr vs the design speed of 55km/hr. The turnaround time that had been reduced in 2015 (i.e., to 16-12 days) has increased again to approximately one month.

Poor and worsening financial results have put rail operations in a critical situation as expenses have not been reduced at the same path as declining revenue from an ever-smaller market. Costs per ton*km reached almost double than revenue. URC is dealing with this critical situation through reduced costs and developing other business as the southern route to Port Bell and marine services.

Table 2.4.6. Uganda: Travel Time Matrix.

Travel Time from Capital City to Major Towns (Hours/days/ or weeks)
	Capital	Town A	Town B	Town C	Town D	Town E	Town F	Town G
Capital		Malaba (Kenya)	Tororo	Jinja	Kampala	Port Bell	Mombasa (Kenya)	Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)
Town A	Malaba (Kenya)	0	0:55 hour		18 hours
Town B	Tororo		0	9:10 hours
Town C	Jinja			0	11:39 hours
Town D	Kampala	18 hours			0	0:23 hour	15 days
Town E	Port Bell					0
Town F	Mombasa (Kenya)						0
Town G	Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)							0

 

Other planned projects:

The Government of Uganda through Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) is undertaking rehabilitation works for the Tororo – Namanve section: Rehabilitation of Tororo to Namanve Railway Line | Uganda Railway corporation (urc.go.ug)

The European Union and the Government of Uganda are supporting the development initiative for Northern Uganda through the rehabilitation of Tororo-Gulu railway line. This route will also provide a link between the port of Mombasa and Northern and Eastern Uganda, as well as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo: Tororo – Gulu Railway Rehabilitation | Uganda Railway corporation (urc.go.ug)

The Gulu Logistics hub is designed as a dry port with rail and truck terminals for transportation, transhipment, organization, separation, coordination, and distribution of cargo for national and international transit on a commercial basis: Gulu Logistics Hub | Uganda Railway corporation (urc.go.ug)

For more information on Uganda Railway Corporation Capacity Development programs, please see following link: Capacity Building Program | Uganda Railway corporation (urc.go.ug)

 

According to Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Uganda is located in a key position for regional trade corridors and regional development in connecting the landlocked, resource-rich countries with an external port (Kenya's Port of Mombasa): Japan International Cooperation Agency (jica.go.jp)

 

The LAPSSET Corridor Program is Eastern Africa’s largest and most ambitious infrastructure project bringing together Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan with improved rail connections and oil pipelines. The LAPSSET corridor will mean that South Sudan volumes will not be any more a captive traffic for Uganda, although Tororo to Gulu railway line and Ugandan Logistics Hubs may provide some competitive advantages to retain some of this traffic in the short term: LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority – Building Transformative and Game Changer Infrastructure for a Seamless Connected Africa

Central Corridor (Dar es Salaam – Kampala) construction of SGR railway line:

The Central Corridor by railway links Uganda through the inland port of Mwanza on Lake Victoria and onto Dar es Salaam Port also links Burundi and Eastern DRC through the inland port of Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika: Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority: Reports (ttcanc.org)

The Tanzanian government is working on initiatives to revitalize the Central Corridor (by 2025) targeting reduced turnaround time between Kampala to Mwanza to just 10 hours. Work is ongoing on the Tanzania standard gauge railway where the main objective is to construct a Standard Gauge railway network from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza (1219kms). The project plans to use of advanced technology for electrified carriage with a maximum speed of 160 kph for passenger trains and 120 kph for freight trains (with capacity of 35 tons per axle). Challenges identified that are associated with this trade route include:

• Lake Victoria (Mwanza-Kampala) is served by only two (2) vessels, that is Mv Pamba and Mv Umoja. However, Mv Uhuru is also operational along that route, and is currently covering the section of Kisumu to Mwanza.
• The road user fee ($520) for Ugandan registered trucks has made the central corridor expensive and uncompetitive for shippers and transporters.
• Storage related issues at the port such as demurrage is due to the negligence of some of the stakeholders at the Port of Dar es Salaam.
• Telecommunications between Uganda and Tanzania is expensive
• Uganda’s customs agents need access to TANCIS

The port of Mombasa has a capacity of 2.65 million TEUs 1 equipped with two container terminals 1 and 2.

Northern Corridor (Port of Mombasa – Kampala) construction of SGR railway line. 

The Northern Corridor railway includes 485 km-long Standard Gauge line from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi Inland Container Deport (ICD).

In Port of Mombasa the cargo throughput includes break-bulk, liquid bulk, dry bulk, containerized cargo, transit cargo, and transshipment.

Table 2.4.4. Uganda: Government connected rail sidings to the MGR line

Name of Siding	Length (km)	Location
Roofings – Namanve	0,57	Kampala
Nomi Siding	0,48	Kampala
Ntake Siding	1,44	Kampala
Liberty Siding	1,04	Kampala
Mukono ICD Siding	0,57	Mukono
Bidco Siding	2,22	Jinja
Nile Agro Industries LTD	0,22	Jinja

 

Table 2.4.5. Uganda: Private connected rail sidings to the MGR line

Name of Siding	Length (km)	Location
Acme Cargo LTD	0,61	Nalukolongolo
Caltex Oil (U) LTD	0,16	Kampala
Esso Standard (U) LTD	0,26	Kampala
Gailey and Roberts	0,38	Kampala
Gulu Municipal Office (World Food Programme)	1,27	Gulu
Kempton Trading CO	0,20	Kampala
Kengrow Industries LTD	0,12	Jinja
Kengrow Industries LTD	0,21	Jinja
Kenfreight	0,35	Kampala
Lira Spinning Mill	0,90	Lira
Lunco Industries LTD	0,49	Namanve
MAERSK SEALAND	1,30	Kampala
Mukwano Industries	0,44	Kampala
Muddu Awulira	0,46	Mukono
Produce Marketing Board	0,58	Kampala
Shell (U) LTD	0,30	Kampala
Total (U) LTD	0,46	Kampala
UGACOF LTD	1,16	Namanve
Uganda Cement Industry	1,38	Tororo
Uganda Electricity Board	0,08	Tororo
Uganda Grain Milling Company LTD	1,93	Jinja
Uganda Meat Packers LTD	1,08	Soroti
URA	0,85	Kampala
Universal Asbestos Manufacturing Co LTD	1,40	Tororo

 

Key Route Information:

The development of the standard gauge railway in Kenya and Tanzania potentially heralds a new era for inland freight logistics in the region.

SGR comes with potential to haul large volumes of cargo in more cheaply and faster way compared to road transport. The Northern and Central Corridors comprise of multimodal transport networks consisting of road, rail, pipeline, and inland waterways transport connecting the landlocked countries to the seaports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam respectively. Both ports serve the great lakes countries of east and central Africa region.

Table 2.4.3. Uganda: Key Stations information.

Key Stations Information
	Tororo	Jinja	Mukono ICD	Namanve	Kampala	Port Bell
Location and area (m2)		Jinja Port 4,000 m2	New Mukono ICD 130,000 m2		Kampala Goods Shed 120,000 m2	Port Bell 12,500 m2
Contact Information		URC	URC		URC	URC
Connections with other Transport Means		Road connection to Jinja, bad condition, ferry terminal	Transshipment of container from rail to Mukono road in a good condition		Connection to Entebbe Road in a bad condition	Road connection from Kampala to Ro-Ro wagon ferry terminal with Connection to Mwanza
Storage capacity (m2 and m3)		No	1,500 m2 bonded warehouse and 350 m2 shed		15,000 m2 4 bonded Warehouses	1,500 m2 bonded warehouse
Handling Equipment		No	1 non-operational Reach Stacker		1 operational and 2 non-operational Reach teStacker	No
Handling Capacity		No	1,400 TEU Container Cargo		500 TEU container depot with 2 container platforms	Low
Security		No	Fence, cameras, lights		Partially fenced, no cameras, no lights	Fence, cameras, no lights
Customs		No	Yes, Customs clearance and inspection		Yes, Customs clearance and inspection	Yes, Customs clearance and inspection
Other Comments		N/A	2 sidings		9 sidings to warehouse and container depot	General Cargo Berth

Key Sidings:

The MGR network consists of 49 sidings to different private industries totalling to 30.52km, with some having been constructed as early as 1950.

Of these, 11 Sidings totalling to 4.31km are in place but no longer connected to the Mainline. These and a good bulk of the other disused sidings have either overgrown with grass or have been overlaid by earth material.

Table 2.4.2. Uganda: Rail Operator Capacity.

URC Rail Operator Capacity
	Ugandan Railway Corporation (URC)	Capacity	Comments
Lines Operates on	1280 km MGR
Max Train Length and / or pulling capacity	17 wagons / 760 MT
Locomotives	17
Covered Freight Wagons Size (m)	175	17.4/39.4/56.8T
Flatbed Wagons Size (m)	358	12.7/46.0/58.7T and 14.7/46.0/60.7T	Only 1 54.7T and 1 17.8/39.0/56.8T
High-Sided Freight Wagons (m)	10	15.9/37.0/52.9T
Drop-side Freight Wagons (m)	1	12.7/46.0/58.7T
Ballast Hopper	22	18.5/38.3/56.8T

 

Key Stations:

The MGR in Uganda has over 62 stations, including 3 sub-stations and 3 future stations.

Majority of the Station buildings are dilapidated and out of use except a few of the major ones along the Eastern Line (Kampala-Malaba); these include,

• Tororo
• Jinja
• Mukono ICD
• Namanve
• Kampala (Headquarters)

Recently repaired stations included Nalukolongo Workshop, Kampala Headquarters and the Mukono ICD.

 

The URC has a total of 17 operational Diesel Hydraulic Locomotives of Classes 36, 62,73, and 74 manufactured by Thyssen Henschel between 1978-1990 (the oldest locomotive being 41 years old and the majority of the rolling stock is due for overhaul).

The Class 62, 73 and 74 locomotives are used both for Passenger & Engineering trains while Class 36 locomotives are used for shunting. Due to limited horsepower, for use on Mainlines, Class 73 and 74 have to be intercoupled so that they can pull up to 17 wagons (760 tonnes) compared to the 7 wagons (350 tonnes) supported by each individually. URC does not own any Mainline Locomotives and for this purpose uses class 94 and class 93 locomotives which belong to Kenya Railways Corporation and four Class 96 Diesel Electric locomotives (2600HP) which belong to Stanbic Bank as collateral for a loan taken by RVR. The URC has 7 operational coaches, 5 of which are currently running the Kampala-Namanve Passenger service. Failures of non-operational locomotives were mainly due to either vandalism, accident damage and/or lack of repair parts.

 

 

Table 2.4.1. Uganda: Domestic Standard Route Information.

Domestic Standard Route Information
	Tororo	Kampala	Nalukulongolo	Port Bell
Track Gauge	MGS 1000 mm	MGS 1000 mm	MGS 1000 mm	MGS 1000 mm
Ruling Gradient	15-18 MT	15-18 MT	15-18 MT	15-18 MT
Total Track Distance	Single	Single	Single	Single
Type of Rail	40 kg Jointed rail	40 kg Jointed rail	40 kg Jointed rail	40 kg Jointed rail
Type of sleeper and Fastenings	Fish plates and bolts	Fish plates and bolts	Fish plates and bolts	Fish plates and bolts
Total Track Travel Time	55 km/hour	55 km/hour	55 km/hour	55 km/hour
Maintenance	Marginal/Bad	Marginal/Bad	Marginal/Bad	Marginal/Bad
Companies / Consortiums operating the line
Traffic Frequency	Monthly / weekly / daily
Security	Marginal/Bad	Marginal/Bad	Marginal/Bad	Marginal/Bad
Main Stations

 

Capacity Table:

The MGR line been built over 100 years ago is coupled with inefficiencies in maintenance and the majority of the MGR line are either in poor condition and/or in a state of disrepair.

Only 21% of track is motorable and is characterized by major sleeper and ballast degradation. About 10% of railway stations are fully operational and 42% of bridges are structurally impaired especially along the Western line. The URC’s fleet of operational rollingstock consists of 17 Locomotives, 8 coaches and over 600 wagons. An inspection done in 2017 revealed that 55% of the operational fleet of rollingstock were due for overhaul or recommended for scrapping.^[3]

Network Infrastructure

The main freight terminal is in the Central Business District (Kampala Goods shed). It has an estimated capacity of 37 wagons, 200 covered wagons and container capacity of circa 500 TEU. The main maintenance depot is located at Nalukolongo workshop. Other depots are located at Kampala, Jinja and Tororo; however due to breakdown of equipment, only minor maintenance/inspection operations are carried out at the other depots. An Inland Container Depot (built 2015) at Kyetume Mukono has 1,400 TEU capacity and it is estimated that about 90% of all rail imports are handled at Mukono ICD. The rail network contains of two wagon ferry terminals on Lake Victoria i.e., Port bell & Jinja Pier. Except for private ships run by BIDCO; Jinja Pier is no longer operational. At Port Bell 2 wagon ferries MV Umoja (belonging to Tanzania Railways Corporation) and MV Kaawa (belonging to URC) each with capacity of 19 and 22 wagons respectively are operational. The main challenges faced by URC in terms of maintenance include:

• Reliance on sub-optimal subsystems that increase the maintenance burden.
• Obsolescence so that spare parts are not readily available.
• Lack of funding.
• Heavy reliance on manual operations.
• Ageing workforce and lack of equipment in general.^[2]

Other aspects that are affecting the performance are

• Vandalism and encroachment of railway assets.
• Obsolescence of key equipment and machinery.
• Sub-optimal system components.
• Low levels of mechanization (of key operations such as maintenance).

Rail safety is a major concern with a distinct lack of physical separation between the railway line and surrounding areas, level crossings without barriers, and the location of major freight stations and industrial sidings within urbanised areas.

SGR Network

The existing Uganda Railway Network consists of Single-track lines built to Metric Gauge Standard (1000mm). These lines were lightly constructed using a mix of 75 lb/yd (37.2 kg/m) and 80lb/yd (40kg/m) of Jointed rail. This limits the capacity of the rail line to permissible axle loads ranging from 15-18 ton depending on the section and the design speed to 55km/hr.

 

MGR Network

The MGR was lightly constructed using a mix of 75 lb/yd (37.2 kg/m) and 80lb/yd (40kg/m) of Jointed rail, limiting the permissible axle loads to 15-18 tonnes and a design speed of 55km/hr. MGR infrastructure includes over 46 Bridges typically single span; 21 along the Western Route (Kampala-Kasese), 7 within Kampala, 12 along the Eastern line. There are also 49 sidings to private industries totalling to over 30km and over 62 stations.^[1] The URC mainly operates freight services, however in 2015 passenger services were reinstated on the MGR between Kampala and Namanve stations (12km)

 

The other non-operational lines consist 79% of the network:

• Tororo-Gulu-Pakwach (504 km),
• Nalukolongo-Kasese (330 km),
• Jinja-Mbulamuti-Busembatia & Mbulamuti-Namasagali loop (171 km)
• Jinja Port and Tororo Cement Factory (10 km).