Uganda: SGR to Improve Transport Safety
To achieve this safety measure, SGR is designed to avoid any level crossings with the embankments raised at a minimum of 2.5m above the ground
The Standard gauge railway connecting Kenya and Uganda is expected to provide quality service in terms of speed, time of travel efficiency of operation, comfort, safety, cost effectiveness and connectivity. This is according to Eng. Kasingye Kyamugambi, the project coordinator of the Standard Gauge Railway Uganda.
In an article published in the New Vision, Eng. Kyamugambi said that the safety of SGR in Uganda will be 0.06 accidents per one million train kilometers (probably one accident per 16.7 million train kilometers). These are extremely high safety levels when compared to Europe where the average is 0.5 accidents per one million train kilometer (one accident per two million train kilometers and the average in the America's is 1.67 accidents per one million train kilometer (one accident per 0.6 million train kilometer).
To achieve this safety measure, SGR is designed to avoid any level crossings (road and rail crossing each other like at Access Road near Mukwano in Kampala), the embankments will be raised at a minimum of 2.5m above the ground and the railway will be fenced all the way from Malaba to Kampala. The design provides for sufficient community crossings and underpasses so that the communities along the railway will not be inconvenienced.
The construction of the railway to be done by the China Harbour Engineering Company is expected to commence once the terms of financing with China Exim bank are finalized. The railway is expected to reduce the transportation time from Mombasa to Kampala from the average 7-14 days to a single day as well as reduce transport emissions from road vehicles by 72%.
What's Your Reaction?
