Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has set to expand its passenger train services within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Two new routes are being explored: the Kampala-Kyengera route, which will run west of Kampala, and the Kampala-Portbell route, which will run east of the capital.
A feasibility study, funded by the African Development Bank, is currently underway to determine the viability of these routes.
The study will inform the reconstruction of the routes, which are expected to be completed within two years at an estimated cost of $40m (Shs148.7 billion).
The Kampala-Kyengera route is expected to extend to Bujuko in Mpigi District, helping to decongest the Kampala-Mityana road and leverage branch-off traffic to the Uganda National Oil Company fuel depot. The route will include works on seven crossing lines, drainage channels, a yard, and switches.
Meanwhile, the Kampala-Namanve route is being extended to Mukono, with works on 12 of the 15 crossings already completed.
The extension is expected to increase passenger numbers from 1,600 to 2,800 per day. Five new passenger wagons will be added to the route, which will have several boarding stations in Kampala, Nakawa, Kireka, Namanve, Bweyogerere, and Namboole.
The new routes are part of URC’s efforts to revamp its passenger train services, which were reopened in May after a renovation.
The corporation expects to launch the Namanve-Mukono extension before the end of the year.
