Wadi Halfa to Mombasa by train

[John Ashworth]

THROUGH DESERT AND JUNGLE, subtitled Modernity that Disturbs the Silence of Age-old Temples, is a web page looking at the railway journey from Wadi Halfa to Mombasa pre-1935, with some pictures.

On the East_African_Steam Yahoo group, Nigel Butterfield presents the 1950s timetable from Cairo to Mombasa, as it appeared on the EAR&H timetable:

Summary F Egypt and Sudan - Uganda and Kenya

Through Services via the Nile and Sudan Railways (fortnightly).


Egyptian State Railways Cairo dep. 20. 00
Sunday 1st day Train

Egyptian State Railways Shellal arr. 11 25
Monday` 2nd day Train

Sudan Railways Shellal dep. 16 00
Monday 2nd day Steamer

Sudan Railways Wadi Halfa arr. 06 00
Wednesday 4th day Steamer

Sudan Railways Wadi Halfa dep. 10 15
Wednesday 4th day Train

Sudan Railways Khartoum arr. 13 50
Thursday 5th day Train

Sudan Railways Khartoum dep. 17 30
Saturday 7th day Train

Sudan Railways Kosti arr. 6 57
Sunday 8th day Train

Sudan Railways Kosti dep. 10 00
Sunday 8th day Steamer

Sudan Railways Juba arr. 10 30
Friday 20th day Steamer

Sudan Railways Juba dep. 6 30
Saturday 21st day Road

Sudan Railways Nimule arr. 11 00
Saturday 21st day Road

East African Railways Nimule dep. 13 00
Saturday 21st day Steamer

East African Railways Rhino Camp arr. a.m.
Sunday 22nd day Steamer

East African Railways Rhino Camp dep. 9 00
Sunday 22nd day Steamer

East African Railways Butiaba arr. a.m.
Monday 23rd day Steamer

East African Railways Butiaba dep. 11 00
` Monday 23rd day Road

East African Railways Masindi Town arr. 13 30
Monday 23rd day Road

East African Railways Masindi Town dep. 7 15
Tuesday 24th day Road

East African Railways Masindi Port arr. 9 30
Tuesday 24th day Road

East African Railways Masindi Port dep. 10 00
Tuesday 24th day Steamer

East African Railways Namasagali arr. 8 00 `
Wednesday 25th day Steamer

East African Railways Namasagali dep. 18 30
Wednesday 25th day Train

East African Railways Nairobi arr. 17 30
Thursday 26th day Train

East African Railways Nairobi dep. 1830
Thursday 26th day Train

East African Railways Mombasa arr. 8 30
Friday 27th day Train

Both Sudan and the EAR Tables indicate Restaurant and Sleeping cars were
attached to most trains; there was catering on all steamers.

Single fare Cairo to Mombasa was Sh. 1,126 first class. Catering charges
Sh. 16 to Sh. 30 per day according to the section of the journey.

The north bound trip took only 21 days with only 7 days between Juba and
Kosti as compared with 12 on the southbound trip.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Interesting - for me anyway!

Went to Wadi Halfa as a kid - before it got covered up! It made an impression because I can still rermember a bit.

Would have liked to have the trip, but this raises the question of who actually did it - given the price and the daily additiional costs. Wow. Steep!

Incidentally, I am going through some of my fathers pictures at the moment and there are quite a few of the Sudan, where he was during part of the war - no trains yet!