Ok let’s give credit where credit is due… The Chinese have done such a wonderful job on the new train stations.
The only problem is the butt ugly locomotives that will be used in the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). Kenyans were shocked when they first saw photos of the SGR trains.
Then sometimes in January this year, Kenya Railways released a video showing how first class passenger coaches on the new SGR trains look like. It was HORRIBLE! And KOT reacted.
But the Chinese have compensated for the ugly locomotives with state of the art train stations; the Chinese received standing ovation when photos of Mombasa West train station were seen by the public.
The Chinese have made up for their shortcomings with the ugly trains that saw Kenyans rant over what they termed as raw deal.
Photos of the new locomotives brought to Kenya to be used in the newly constructed Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) sparked uproar after Kenyans discovered Moroccan trains were far superior.
Well, not everything about SGR is ‘ugly’; the Chinese have constructed an ultramodern train station in Mombasa.
The construction of Mombasa West Station is still underway but artistic impression of the massive structure depicts the beauty and sophistication of Kenya’s newest train station.
The Mombasa West station is currently the biggest train station in Kenya; it makes the old colonial-era station in Nairobi look like a big terrible joke.
When the country upgraded from the colonial-era meter gauge railway to the current standard gauge railway (which is still under construction), Kenyans expected European-ish trains and not the ugly diesel locomotives the Chinese are bringing in.
Just like Kenya, Morocco embarked on an ambitious project to upgrade its rail line. While the Moroccan government decided to seek electric trains from France, Kenya settled for Chinese diesel engine locomotive.
Morocco is constructing a 350km railway line that connects the city of Casablanca and Tangier at a cost of 20 billion Moroccan Dirham or 205 billion Kenyan shillings.
The trains that will be plying the route will be travelling at an average speed of 320 kilometers per hour; making it the fastest rail line in Africa. The project is expected to be completed in 2018.
Back to Kenya; the government spent Kes 380 billion to upgrade the rail line from Mombasa to Nairobi which covers a distance of 427.4km.
The government awarded the tender to China Road and Bridge Corporation, a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company.
The ‘unattractive’ diesel engine locomotive that will be used in Kenya will be travelling at an average speed of 120km/h (passenger train) while freight train will travel at an average speed of 80km/h.
Kenyans took to the social media to express their frustrations with SGR when they saw the trains Morocco has procured for its rail line.
Some Kenyans claimed that the Chinese SGR locomotives brought to Kenya were taken from Museums in China, painted then shipped to the country.
Fatum Ndumia: When Did the jubilee promise this electric trains that everyone is singing about?n then where on earth can you compare Kenya with morroco in any case..They are way forward than us ..atleast we are going somewhere we used not to b..parrot
Shish Princes: hii ni bus ya kupeleka wanafunzi shule ama?? just asking
Christopher Kavundi: Am surprised the NYS and most of universities have well funded engineering departments why have they not designed a high speed train for Kenya?
Paul Hooda: Tumeletewa grand train..inaboo
Ken N. Muri: We r yet to get to that level of Moroccans. Vaa kiatu size yako nanii!
Sospeter Dante: This is moi buses combined nkt!!
Symon Ian: People shouldnt confuse between a standard gauge railway and an electric railway…the sgr was just a small upgrade of the normal railway,abit of upgraded locomotive with a higher speed than
Ronald Otieno: The cost is in question.
Mariam Yaki: haha kucheswa na jubithieves……
Ken N. Muri: En by the way, how do someone expect the electric locomotive to work on a standard gauge railway !! I thought most of us here r learned!!
Birech Caleb: It works my brother, the rail use the same, the difference is the electric train use electromagnetic principle while the other is diesel engine power.
Montanah Leo: 150billion it is. Mmmmmmmm God is watching
George Muchiri: ya passengers bado haijaingia hio na yaku beba containers lol
George Muchiri: Hehe in Kenya speed kills acha tu tubaki na hi
Simon Kinyua: Mkiletewa chapati mnaitisha pizza…..bure kabisa
Calvin Mwanyumba: hehehe, tuliambiwa tutapewa pizza lakini tukapewa chapati…. hii ni haki kweli… Tangu lini chapati ikawa 1,000
