China-built Mombasa-Nairobi railway marks 3,000 days of safe operation

NAIROBI, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Kenya has recorded 3,000 days of safe operation as of Saturday, Africa Star Railway Operation Company Limited (Afristar) said in a press release on Sunday.

Since its launch on May 31, 2017, the railway has transported nearly 15.93 million passengers and more than 41.96 million tons of cargo, according to Afristar, which runs and maintains the line.

Stretching 472 km from the port city of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi, the SGR is the first new railway built in Kenya since independence and a flagship project of China-Kenya cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Designed, built, and operated by China Road and Bridge Corporation, the line was constructed to Chinese standards using Chinese technologies, equipment, and management models. It has improved Kenya's transport efficiency and lifted the country's gross domestic product by 1.5 percent, Afristar said.

During its construction and operation, the project has created some 74,000 jobs and trained 2,800 Kenyan specialists in standard-gauge railway technology, contributing to local employment and skills development, the company said.

"The safe operation of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has not only provided a convenient and efficient travel method for Kenyan people, but also greatly promoted local trade development and economic growth," Afristar said. ■