After more than three decades, passenger train services between Kampala and Jinja are set to make a long-awaited comeback.
The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has begun testing the railway line’s integrity and assessing the feasibility of reinstating passenger services along the route.
If the tests yield positive results, the revival of this train service is expected to significantly ease congestion on the heavily trafficked Kampala–Jinja highway, offering commuters an alternative and more efficient mode of transport.
Currently, the railway line between Kampala and Jinja is exclusively used for cargo transportation, while passenger train services only extend as far as Mukono. The last time passenger trains operated on this stretch was in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, railway lines in Eastern and Northern Uganda—specifically Achuna in Soroti and Aloi in Alebtong District—have remained largely intact, unlike other routes that were dismantled over time.
In a related development, work is progressing on the Tororo–Gulu railway line, with construction currently underway in Kumi District.
The project is expected to reach Gulu by December 2025, restoring critical railway connectivity in Northern Uganda.
